Scranton Lace Company
Scranton Lace Company | |
Location | 1315 Meylert St., Scranton, Pennsylvania |
---|---|
Built | 1891, 1949 |
NRHP reference No. | 12000221[1] |
Added to NRHP | April 16, 2012 |
The Scranton Lace Company, also known as the Scranton Lace Curtain Company and Scranton Lace Curtain Manufacturing Company, was an American lace manufacturer in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
History
The company was established by the Scranton Board of Trade as the Scranton Lace Curtain Manufacturing Company in 1890 and was incorporated on June 15, 1897. The name Scranton Lace Company became standardized in 1916 when the Scranton Lace Curtain Manufacturing Company and one of its subsidiaries combined their operations. On May 13, 1958, the company changed its name to The Scranton Lace Corporation, but soon thereafter reverted to using the name The Scranton Lace Company as its official title. From 1916 to 2002 the company remained the first and largest known producer of Nottingham Lace in the United States.[2]
The company was the world leader in Nottingham lace and also produced tablecloths, napkins, valances, and shower curtains, among many other types of lace items. During the 1940s, the company teamed up with subsidiaries such as Victory Parachutes, Inc. and Sweeney Bros. to manufacture parachutes and camouflage netting. Though the company prospered well into the 1950s but risky investments involving Hal Roach Studios and the fledgling television industry placed the company in financial peril and eventually led to its closure in 2002.[2] Despite the factory being one of area's biggest employers, it closed in 2002 with the company's vice president telling its employees, mid-shift, that the facility was closing "effective immediately".[3]
The facility featured a theater,[3] bowling alley, gymnasium, infirmary, clock tower (that is a city landmark and has a Meneely cast iron bell) and other amenities.[4]
On January 31, 2011, the Scranton City Council gave final approval to Lace Building Affiliates to redevelop the Scranton Lace Complex industrial factory located at 1315 Mylert Avenue.[5]
On December 30, 2011, the company's abandoned building was featured in the pilot episode of the Abandoned TV series.
The factory complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.[1] The Scranton Lace Company Kingston Mill at Kingston, New York was listed in 2013.[6]
References
- ^ a b "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 4/16/12 through 4/20/12. National Park Service. 2012-04-27.
- ^ a b Scranton Lace I, Tom Bejgrowicz, Blogspot.com, 18 January 2010 (retrieved 10 January 2012)
- ^ a b Photographer captures pathos of abandoned Scranton Lace Works in North Scranton, Josh McAuliffe, The Times-Tribune, 28 October 2011 (retrieved 10 January 2012)
- ^ Pilot episode, Abandoned TV series, 30 December 2011
- ^ Scranton Lace project approved, Rich Howells, GO Lackawanna (The Times Leader Scranton Edition), 31 January 2011 (retrieved 10 January 2012)
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 7/01/13 through 7/05/13. National Park Service. 2013-07-12.
External links
- Abandoned Scranton Lace Company – Scranton, PA, History and photographs
- Scranton Lace Company – Scranton, PA, photographs by Walter Arnold
- Companies established in 1890
- Companies disestablished in 2002
- Defunct manufacturing companies of the United States
- Lace
- Manufacturing companies based in Pennsylvania
- Textile companies of the United States
- Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
- Buildings and structures in Scranton, Pennsylvania