Christian Frederick Martin founded C.F. Martin & Co. in 1833, creating one of the world's oldest musical instrument manufacturers. The company's innovations in acoustic guitar design, including the x-braced flat-top guitar and Dreadnought guitar, exerted a formative influence on the industry. German-born C.F. Martin moved the firm from New York City to this area in 1838, built a small shop here in 1859, and it expanded many times and long served as the company's factory.