Begun in 1840 as one of Plymouth's buckskin glove manufacturers, the company became Draper and Maynard after John Maynard joined Jason Draper in 1881. Baseball gloves were added to its product line in 1884, making it among the world's largest sporting goods manufacturers. D and M created the first catcher's mitt. At one point more than 80% of major leaguers used D and M gloves, including the G-41 model used by Babe Ruth. The original D and M burned in 1911 and was replaced by this 4-story structure now preserved and renovated by Plymouth State University.