This Louden Overhead Auto Hoist was salvaged from a local building

It was donated to the Jefferson County Historic Preservation Commission.

Gladys Crandall, before selling the property at 117 East Broadway Avenue, gave a rare Louden Overhead Auto Hoist to the Jefferson County Historic Preservation Commission. The hoist was fabricated by the Louden Machinery Company of Fairfield, and was installed in the building in the 1920's where it was used in the automobile repair shop.

The hoist was photographed and removed for storage on 10-15-2003. The Commission expressed the desire to have it reinstalled in an appropriate period building capable of presenting and interpreting the significance of the artifact.

In May 2018 the hoist was mounted in the Cleary Barn at the Maasdam Barn complex, where its usage can be demonstrated. Although the barn is not period, special brackets were utilized to let the hoist move back and forth for a short distance to show how it works.

Text and photos courtesy of Prairie Architects. Scroll down for photos.

Click here for the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form and photos for this building, which you can download.

This Louden Overhead Auto Hoist was salvaged from a local building

It was donated to the Jefferson County Historic Preservation Commission.

A catalogue page showing how it was used.

Allen Crandall and Dr. Robert Tree discuss how to remove the hoist without damaging it. (10-15-2003)

Detail of hoist at west end. Note the rails at the top of the photo that allow the entire unit to move up and down the room.

Detail of hoist at east end. Again, note the rails at he top of the photo.

To the right of Ron Blair, note the hoist that moves back and forth across this beam.

Therefore, heavy loads could be lifted, and then moved across the room or back and forth in the room.