Fábrica de Vitaminas, Óleos, Farinhas e Adubos — São Roque do Pico, Portugal - Converted Factories on Waymarking.com

Whaling in the Azores began approximately around 1830, first with American whaling boats, which came here to hunt for sperm whales until the end of the 19th century. After this, the activity was then continued at the initiative of the island’s own inhabitants, who ventured forth to sea in narrow rowing-boats (Canoas). Up to 20,000 sperm whales said to have been killed around the islands annually. In the whaling stations, the whales were dissected and processed. Here in large boilers the whale oil was cooked. It was used for the light in lamps, whale meat has been used as animal feed or fertilizer and the whale oil were exported for soap making.
Over time, whaling became less and less significant in the Azores and in 1976 about 200 sperm whales were killed. Commercial whaling officially ended in 1984. Finally, in the late 1980's Azoreans realized they could potentially make money off the whales without killing them and launched a now thriving whale watching business.

The "Fábrica de Vitaminas, Óleos, Farinhas e Adubos" (Factory for vitamins, oils, flours and fertilizers) in São Roque was built in 1942. American engineers have designed the building and the factory. The machine also came from the USA and England. Before the building were the big winds, with which the sperm whales were pulled ashore on the forecourt. Here the whales were dismantled. The company went into operation in 1946. 14 whaling ships were on the way to the company and about 100 people were employed in the factory.
In 1984 the company was closed as a last of its kind on the Azores.
The Museu da Indústria Baleeira (Whaling Industry Museum) was opened in May 1994 and is internationally considered to be one of the best industrial museums of its kind, exhibiting boilers, furnaces, machinery and other equipment used in the exploitation and transformation of whales into oil and flour.

source: wikipedia, Museu do Pico