Manufactory

Manufactory is a term historically used to describe a manufacturing establishment where goods are produced in a systematic way, typically involving a division of labor and the use of power-driven machinery. The word derives from Latin and French roots indicating hand-made production, and in English has long overlapped with "factory" and "manufacturing plant." In many contemporary contexts, a manufactory is considered archaic or regional; "factory" and "industrial plant" are more common today.

Historically, manufactory referred to workshops that lay between small-scale crafts and large-scale industrial production. In medieval and early modern Europe, guild workshops produced goods by hand, often organized as families or master artisans with apprentices. With the Industrial Revolution, the manufactory system evolved to larger, purpose-built buildings housing machinery powered by water, steam, or electric power. This shift allowed standardized parts, routine tasks, and higher output, laying groundwork for the modern factory system.

In modern usage, the distinction between "manufactory" and "factory" is often semantic. Some writers reserve "manufactory" for historical or artisanal contexts, while others use it to refer to a factory with a craftsmanship emphasis. In non-English-speaking countries the cognate terms may survive in language usage, often carrying historical or stylistic connotations.

See also: factory, manufacturing, industrial revolution, workshop, production facility.