The magnificent Spirella Building was created between 1912 and 1920 as the UK manufacturing base of the famous Spirella Corset Company. Its founder, William Wallace Kincaid, (1868 - 1964) an American entrepreneur, came to Letchworth Garden City after hearing about the establishment of a new community - the world's first Garden City - and the man behind it, Ebenezer Howard (1850 - 1928).

Kincaid, like Howard, was a man ahead of his time and he commissioned architect Cecil Hignett to design a state-of-the art factory of great beauty. The factory was completed in 1920, Kincaid had achieved his goal; The Spirella Building provided the perfect environment for his workers to be happy, contented and highly productive, and was worthy of being called 'The Factory of Beauty'.

1910

Spirella Company operational in temporary wooden sheds in Nevells Road.

1912

Work is completed on the Spirella Building's factory workshop block - the section nearest the railway.

1914

The central section, featuring the Spirella Ballroom, is completed.

1920

The work is completed and the Spirella Company moves in.

1924

Spirella Decade Club visits the British Empire Exhibition on 7 June.

1939

An Extension and outbuildings are created, but not to the standard of Hignett's original design.

1939-45

Spirella manufactures parachutes and decoding machinery.

1960s

Fashion changes lead to reduced demand for corsetry.

1970

Staff numbers decrease throughout the decade.

1979

Grade ll* listing of building.

1980-94

The building is in a poor state of repair and changes hands a number of times.

1994

Letchworth Garden City Corporation, the predecessor of the Heritage Foundation, purchases the Spirella Building.

1995

Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation takes over the ownership and management of Letchworth Estate.

1997

Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation starts work on the £11m restoration.

1998

Construction of the main building is completed in the autumn.

1999

HRH The Prince of Wales formally opens the building. The project wins the UK Property Innovation of the Year award at the Property Week Oscars and over 300 former Spirella employees attend a reunion in the ballroom.

2000

A second building, Spirella 2, is completed in the spring.

2001

The gardens at the front of the building are tastefully redesigned.

2003

As Letchworth Garden City celebrates its Centenary, the Spirella Building welcomes visitors from far and wide.

2005

Spirella building opens its doors once more for the Heritage Open Days.