On Seminole across the street from the former Motor Lamp factory is the massive Dominion Forge Complex. Once home to giant stamping presses that fabricated parts for the automotive industry, the complex today is used as a warehouse. Stories have it that the presses were so huge and powerful that they shook the ground and caused so much noise to the surrounding neighborhood, that they had to be shut down at 5:00 pm.
An old map of the complex
The “Machine Shop” building
The “Cold Trim” building
The other side of the “Cold Trim” building. The small bump out led to the offices, that have long since been demolished.
Art Deco Influences are visible on the trim on the main facades of the building fronting Seminole.
The rail spurs visible in the map are still active and still in use.
I’d love to get in and explore this complex. It is however still very much in use.
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For My Father, Paul Perz
My father, Paul Perz, worked in production at the Dominion Forge for over 30 years, right up until the 1987 lockout. He’s still with us and will be turning 90 in March 2026.
Dad often talks about the old days at the Forge like they were yesterday. Many of his closest friends have passed on, including his brother-in-law Stefan Skrzydlewski (d. 2011), his friends Walter Kolodziejski (d. 2016) and Adriano Morson (d. 2023), along with many others whose names I can not find or I can't get past his pronunciation (he’s mostly deaf and was never great with names to begin with!).
If any former Dominion Forge workers are still around, my father would love the chance to reconnect, share stories, and reminisce. He’s in remarkably good shape for his age—he still drives every day and enjoys life—but the years at the Forge certainly left their mark on his body. Meeting anyone who shared that time with him would mean the world to him.
Please reply here or send me an email, and I will gladly arrange something.
dperz@maxitrol.com