Ashley and Bailey Silk Mill, Marietta Pennsylvania
The Ashley and Bailey Company Silk Mill Building stands at the intersection of North Pine Street and East Walnut Street (formerly called New Third) in Marietta, Lancaster County, Pa. The land on which this 3-story brick structure stands was purchased as 8 unimproved lots by H. M. Alexander, James Duffy, and John Thumma, Trustees for the establishment of a Silk Mill, from Henry Rich and his wife Annie M. Rich, on March 15th, 1897. Evidently, construction commenced immediately after the purchase of the land, for the Lancaster Semi-Weekly NEW ERA for May 15th, 1897, noted that "work on the silk mill ... is progressing very rapidly." The Semi-Weekly NEW ERA for Saturday, October 16th, 1897, stated that "the new silk mill of Ashley & Bailey Company, at Marietta, was started on Tuesday with a force of over 200 hands, which will be greatly increased in the near future." In 1899, the Atlas of Lancaster County showed the structure in its present form (save for noted later additions) as the "Ashley & Bailey Co. Silk Mill." Evidently, the founding Trustees rented the silk mill to the Ashley and Bailey Company of Patterson, New Jersey until March 12th, 1905, when the building was sold to said company. The Ashley and Bailey Company sold the business and premises to D. George Dery on 11-11-1913. About 1924, the Dery Company was reorganized. Following the bankruptcy of the Amalgamated Silk Corporation, the building and contents were sold to the Duplan Silk Corporation of Delaware on 6-11-1931. On 6-22-1936, the Duplan Silk Corporation sold the premises for $10,000.00 to Morris Levy and Sons of New York. For the following 40 years, the building served a number of industrial functions.
From 1897 at least to 1936, the Ashley and Bailey Silk Mill was a very important part of the silk industry in the society and economy of of Lancaster County. The history of sericulture in the Lancaster area stretches to the mid-1700's, when the noted Susanna Wright (1697-1784) received a prize from George III for her success in raising silkworms. Other experiments in sericulture took place in Lancaster City in the late 1830s.
As a successful industry, silk mills became important in the local economy only in the 1890s. The Ashley and Bailey Silk Mill was among the first established in Lancaster County. For about 40 years, it was one of the leading employers in the Marietta area. By the 1920's, Lancaster County's silk mills enjoyed a truly worldwide prominence, with the Stehli Silk Mill in Lancaster City being the second largest in the world.
Due to the destruction and/or alteration of most other silk mill structures in Lancaster County, the relatively intact structure of the Ashley and Bailey Silk Mill stands as a very important monument to a now-vanished part of local economic and industrial history.
Building Description
This is a fine and largely intact example of a late 19th-century industrial structure, 3 stories high, built of brick. The exterior appears to be about 85% intact, with only minor alterations and intrusions.
The entire building is built on a rough limestone foundation, which is partially exposed. All walls are built of brick, laid in common bond. The low-pitched gable roof has considerable overhang on the sides, with the beams being exposed beneath the eaves.
The long side of the structure (facing away from the Susquehanna River and toward Rt. 441) is articulated by 13 repetitive bays. Each bay is defined by a pilaster-like strip of brick extending up 3 stories; these brick strips inset slightly at the 3rd story level. Within each defined bay are 2 windows per floor, giving a total of 6 windows per bay. All window openings are finished with segmental brick arches. The original 15/15 light wooden window sash remains intact in most of the window openings.
The treatment of the gable end has 2 bays corresponding in form, component elements, and details to the bays just described.
The other long side of the building (facing the town of Marietta and the Susquehanna River) has bays matching those just defined.
There is a projecting one-story brick wing, with wide doorways, which is part of the original structure. At the extremity of this wing is a water tower, approximately 4 stories in height. At the corner of this long wall, near North Pine Street, is a fine brick tower, slightly taller than the building. This tower terminates in the low-pitched pediment with a brick cornice.
The entire tower, although constructed with a seam in the brickwork at the juncture with the wall of the main block of the building, is a part of the original structure. It should be noted that on this side of the building are several later additions of no architectural significance, including a small brick addition at the corner, and a concrete block addition.
The gable end facing North Pine Street has 2 bays of the form seen throughout the structure. At the southern corner, adjacent to the tower, is an irregular bay, with only one window per floor. In this bay, the windows have 12/12 sash.
It should be noted that the high elevation of this structure commands a vista of the town of Marietta, with a distant prospect of the Susquehanna River.
Looking from intersection of East Walnut Street & Pine Street, looking southeast (1980)
Looking from East Walnut Street looking southwest (1980)
Looking from the southeast corner of the site looking in a northwesterly direction (1980)
Looking from the intersection of Pine Street and Prospect Alley looking in a northeasterly direction (1980)
Looking from the southwest corner of the site looking in a northeasterly direction at the juncture of the boiler house with the main building (1980)
