Lace Tableclothes and Drapes were made here for over 100 years
Scranton Lace Company, Scranton Pennsylvania
Located in Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, the Scranton Lace Company is a historic factory complex that was initially constructed in 1891, and evolved from a small manufacturing plant of five buildings to a significant plant of 32 interrelated buildings by 1946. The complex was one of the largest Nottingham lace manufacturing complexes in the Lackawanna Valley and in Pennsylvania during the mid-twentieth century. The Scranton Lace Company produced quality lace affordable for all Americans through its use of Jardine looms, an ambitious marketing system, and diversified product lines. It is the area's largest surviving example of an early to mid-twentieth-century industrial facility that evolved to adapt to changing trends and market demands. The buildings retain their overall form and industrial character-defining features representative of mid-twentieth-century industrial complexes: they are constructed with wood, cast iron, and concrete mushroom structural systems; they have massive window openings with industrial sash; and relatively low building height.
Company History
Originally organized as the Scranton Lace Curtain Manufacturing Company, this company began manufacturing Nottingham lace curtains in 1891, utilizing 14 secondhand looms from Nottingham, England. Nottingham lace is a type of manufactured lace that was woven on looms that were developed in Nottingham, England. The company changed its name to Scranton Lace Curtain Company in 1897 and changed again to Scranton Lace Company in 1916. The Scranton Lace Company retained its name until 1958, when the expanded nature of its operations necessitated changing the name to Scranton Lace Corporation to acknowledge the company's diversification. This name lasted for 20 years, when it reverted back to the Scranton Lace Company in 1978 after bankruptcy and reorganization. The company undertook minor modifications to the plant, updating machinery as needed until 2002, when the factory was closed due to foreign competition and underbidding. When it was forced to close in 2002 due to market competition from China, the Scranton Lace Company (Scranton Lace) was the last remaining company in the United States that produced Nottingham lace and was the largest industrial complex in Scranton.
Scranton Lace was one of the largest producers of Nottingham lace in the United States. The firm and its successors produced curtains, tablecloths, napkins, valances, shower curtains, and many other types of lace items. Nottingham lace is a type of machine-made lace, based on the bobbin-net weave that originated in Nottingham, England. Initially the second-largest production plant in the Lackawanna Valley behind Wilkes-Barre Lace Manufacturing Company, and the fifth-largest behind John Bromley and Sons in Philadelphia, Scranton Lace remained dominant within the industry while other firms consolidated, ceased to do business, or diversified into related weaving and textile industries.
Prior to 1891, consumers in the United States relied upon acquiring lace manufactured in Nottingham, England. In 1888, the first lace mill to be constructed in Pennsylvania, and in the United States, was in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, with the construction of the Wilkes-Barre Lace Manufacturing Company. The Wilkes-Barre Lace Manufacturing Company, located at Courtright Avenue and Darling Street in the north end of Wilkes-Barre, had 28 looms. Three years later, three US factories were constructed in 1891: John Bromley and Sons, located at 201 E. Lehigh Street (at the corner of Lehigh and B Street), Philadelphia, had 68 looms; the Scranton Lace Curtain Manufacturing Company, Scranton, Lackawanna County had between 14 and 16 looms; and the Tariffville Manufacturing Company in Tariffville, Hartford County, Connecticut, had seven looms. Thus, the year 1891 was the beginning of lace manufacturing in the Lackawanna Valley.
The Scranton Lace Curtain Manufacturing Company was begun in 1891 to produce Nottingham lace in the United States. During the summer of 1890, Messrs. Moseley, Wotten, and Clifton, who were manufacturers of lace in Nottingham, England, visited the Board of Trade in Scranton and were shown around the city. The Scranton site was advantageous due to the close proximity of rail yards; it was within five hours of both Philadelphia and New York; fuel could be acquired at low rates; both skilled and unskilled workers were available; and it was a good climate when compared to the rest of the Northeast." William Connell, a Scranton businessman and later U. S. Congressman, donated land for the buildings, and $55,000 of stock was subscribed. The company was organized, plans for the buildings were sent from England, and work was set to commence.
By the fall of 1890, the scope of work for the complex had been enlarged and subsequently, changes were made to the plans. As a result, more capital was needed. In January 1891, a meeting was held at the Board of Trade to elect officers. At this time the initial site was found to be unsatisfactory, so a new property was located that faced Marion Street and was owned by Messrs. Breck and Dimmick. As payment for the land, Messrs. Breck and Dimmick took stock in the company. A Building Committee was formed and on July 2nd, 1891, a contract was signed with Mathias Stipp, with the woodwork being undertaken by Taylor and Mulherin of Taylorville.
Following their exploratory trip to Scranton, Messrs. Moseley, Wotten, and Clifton returned to England, arranging for the purchase and shipment of machinery and the hiring of skilled workers to emigrate to Scranton, Pennsylvania. These workers would train the local staff. A small band of experts returned to the City of Scranton that same year and brought with them 14 secondhand lace machines. William Smith and Charles Cresswell, experienced lace makers from England, were also hired to set up the machinery and supervise the finishing processes at the new mill.
The early days were a struggle and the new company initially met with financial difficulties. The skilled workers that were supposed to be available were non-existent. With English rates for lace goods being lower than those of the United States, the preference were for English goods, so American lace goods did not sell well in the late nineteenth century. The economic climate in Pennsylvania cities was much better than the rest of the US. Starting In 1892, the Wyoming Valley Lace Mills located between E. Valley Lane and E. Union Street in Wilkes-Barre, was the fourth largest manufacturer in Pennsylvania, the second largest in the Wyoming Valley, and had 11 looms. Two other mills were constructed around the mid-1890s: the Columbia Lace Company in Columbia, Lancaster County, was constructed in 1896 with 15 looms, while the T. I. Burke Company was constructed in Chester, Delaware County, in 1899 with 12 looms. By 1899, there were nine plants in the United States with a total of seven mills in Pennsylvania, with a combined 225 looms. Statistically, Pennsylvania had nine-tenths of the lace manufacturing plants in the United States at the turn of the twentieth century.
While the latter two mills were being organized in Lancaster and Delaware Counties, a receiver was appointed to manage the Scranton Lace Curtain Manufacturing Company. As principal creditors, Creighton and Burtch of New York believed that the company could generate profitability. The new company, known as the Scranton Lace Curtain Company, was reorganized on August 4th, 1897, with a number of prominent Scranton businessmen purchasing stock in the new company. All old debts were satisfied and J. Benjamin Dimmick was elected president, Paul B. Belin was treasurer, and H. W. Taylor was secretary and manager. The plant at that time had 54,762 square feet and a staff of skilled employees.
Under Dimmick's guidance, the company grew substantially and prospered. In July 1898, the Scranton Lace Curtain Company reported that during the past year 901,000 yards of net and 186,000 pairs of curtains were sold, generating $236,000. The company had net earnings of $8,179.00. By 1905, the company listed annual sales in excess of $550,000. From 1897 to 1907, all sales were handled through commission houses in New York City and Chicago. In 1907, the Scranton Lace Curtain Company set up a wholly owned subsidiary known as Scranton Lace Company to handle sales and distribution of the company product.
In 1914, the company developed a number of innovative marketing methods to promote their products. They began selling directly to large retail department stores in addition to bulk sales to distributors and jobbers. To aid in sales, the company developed a brochure entitled "Action," which assisted in merchandizing their curtains. The brochure describes the manufacturing process, company officers and managers, and the "originality" of the Scranton Lace Company. The company developed the "Redypakd" package; the device that sends lace curtains right from the mill to the merchant in separate, sealed envelopes that lets the merchant keep his merchandise "dainty, fresh, and crisp right to the moment it reaches the customer's hands." It introduced "Waverly Novelties" that included a pair of curtains, heading, and valence-all in one-ready to hang. The brochure was also intended to offer advice on how to plan and advertise for the retailer's own Home Beautiful Exposition by providing different ways to market the exposition. The company also added a line of scrims, voiles, and marquisettes, which were sold as curtains as well as yard goods.
By 1916, the Scranton Lace Curtain Company combined its operations with its sales subsidiary and became the Scranton Lace Company. With reorganization in 1916, the newly formed Scranton Lace Company (Scranton Lace) became a million-dollar corporation with offices in New York, Chicago, and Toronto, with only one plant, and one of the largest employers in the Lackawanna Valley.
During this same period, John Bromley and Sons had become the largest manufacturer in Pennsylvania of Nottingham lace curtains with 1,376 employees, while the Wilkes-Barre Lace Manufacturing Company was second with 1,098 employees, and Scranton Lace was third with 389 employees. Three years later in 1919, the same three companies were still first, second, and third in terms of employees but numbers had either increased or decreased. The Wilkes-Barre Lace Manufacturing Company had dropped to 950 employees while John Bromley and Sons increased to 1,744 employees, and Scranton Lace increased to 498 employees.
In January 1920, J. Benjamin Dimmick passed away and Paul B. Belin became president. Belin expanded the company by selling directly to customers through national advertising. He started a new extensive social welfare program that included medical services, recreation facilities, and an employee savings plan. During his presidency, the physical plant of the company expanded. Between 1920 and 1929, nearly $2,600,000 was invested in additional manufacturing facilities at the Scranton plant. These included a bedspread mill, a new office building, a weaving mill, a new yarn preparation mill, an employee's clubhouse, and the clock tower. To promote the new bedspread mill, Scranton Lace published a catalog called "Scranton Bedspreads" exclusively to market this item.
By 1922, there was an increase in the number of employees at the Wilkes-Barre Lace Manufacturing Company and Scranton Lace, and the number of employees decreased at John Bromley and Sons and at the Wyoming Valley Lace Mills. This decrease could be due to a number of factors. At the end of World War I, there was a labor shortage. There were technical problems due to inexperienced workers who had irregular output, and there was increased competition from other manufacturers. There had been a steady growth in lace manufacturing, with some manufacturers being listed as making curtains while others were noted for making lace. Ironically, the Industrial Directory of Pennsylvania, volume 4, listed Scranton Lace in the "Curtains-Other Than Lace" category.
In 1923, the company produced and marketed its first artificial silk window curtains under the trade name "Lustre Lace." It also introduced "Scranton New Outlooks for Every Home" as a marketing brochure for its curtain lines. Also during this period, 34 new looms were installed along with numerous other major pieces of equipment. By 1925, there was a general increase in the number of employees at Scranton Lace, but three years later there were 140 fewer employees with a total of 998. In the late 1920s, Glenn Street was covered and manufacturing expanded over the street with the construction of Building No. 34.
The firm weathered the Great Depression by liquidating its inventory and developing new products such as a line of dinner cloths that became one of its largest sales items. Paul Belin died in 1930 and Nathaniel G. Robertson, Jr., became president. He closed the unprofitable business of bedspreads and marquisettes and expanded the lace tablecloth production. Within the plant in 1937, eight new looms were installed that increased production by 15 percent. To accommodate the looms, a new weaving building, Building No. 36, and a new finishing mill were added. The machinery in the bedspread and marquisette divisions was eventually sold, as these operations were converted to lace manufacturing.
By 1938, the number of employees at Scranton Lace increased to 903. The Wilkes-Barre Lace Manufacturing Company steadily decreased in number of employees until 1938, when it increased to 907. The year 1938 was the only time between 1925 and 1950 when the number of Wilkes-Barre Lace Manufacturing Company employees exceeded those at Scranton Lace.
During World War II, Scranton Lace organized Victory Parachute Company and shifted its production capability to manufacture mosquito netting, parachutes, camouflage nets, targets, life raft paulins, and mine carriers for various branches of the Armed Forces. After the war, the firm went back to lace production, producing Craftspun curtains and Vinylite plastic shower and window curtains. Post-World War II consumer demand led to peak sales in 1948 of $9,083,177, with earnings at an all-time high of $692,698. To handle the increase, it purchased two additional plants: the Cora Cotton Yarn Spinning Milfjn Kings Mountain, North Carolina, and the U. S. Lace Curtain Mill in Kingston, New York.
From 1941 to the 1970s, Scranton Lace Company became the largest manufacturer of Nottingham lace products in the Lackawanna Valley and in Pennsylvania. At its peak of profitability in 1948, there were 743 employees. By 1950, the price for raw cotton had increased 40 percent, which in turn increased the selling price of lace. By 1951, sales had declined 12 percent due to three factors: increase in manufacturing costs, competition from other factories, and consumers wanted synthetic materials that were cheaper and easier to maintain and clean. As a result of declining volumes, the U. S. Lace Curtain Mill in Kingston, New York, was sold.
In 1952, H. J. Megargel became president. Megargel started with the company under Belin and made an effort to boost sales by introducing new products. It was under Megargel's tenure that controlling interests in the company were threatened. Stockholders gained enough stock and forced their way onto the Board of Directors. It is within this tenure that on June 27th, 1958, the Scranton Lace Company became the Scranton Lace Corporation to reflect its new diversity. Local executive participation in the company was non-existent. Throughout the summer of 1958, the company continued its diversification, particularly with the Mutual Broadcasting System (MBS). The decision to diversify and add additional product outside of textile manufacturing proved to be the company's downfall. Not only were some of the diversifications unprofitable, but they were never utilized. In February 1959, management attempted to reverse the damage by selling MBS and by dealing with lawsuits and outstanding loans. Bankruptcy was declared on April 3rd, 1959. The trustees dismantled the collection of companies and by 1964, Hawaiian-based investor Harry Weinberg took over the operation and slowly made it profitable. At the end of the twentieth century, the company's main product was lace yard and finished goods woven with cotton and polyester thread. When Quaker Lace Company closed in the 1987, Scranton Lace purchased all of its patterns and designs. By 1995, staff had been reduced to 150.
By 2001, staff had been reduced to less than 150 employees; in 2002, there were only 50 employees. In that year, the company's vice president, Robert Hine, called all of the employees together during their shift and informed them that the company was closing immediately.
While not a leader in the industry, when all the other lace manufacturing facilities began to diversify in the 1920s and 1930s, Scranton Lace began its own diversification with the introduction of its bedspread and lace tablecloth divisions as well as the establishment of the Victory Parachute Division during World War II, until the corporate takeover by board members in the late 1950s and ultimately, foreign competition forced the company to close. Scranton Lace retained its local leadership and involvement until the 1950s when outside interests purchased enough stock to obtain seats on the Board of Directors and later Board Presidency, and took advantage of the company's cash on hand to diversify. Based on the outstanding debts and resulting lawsuits, the only way to combat the hasty diversification was to declare bankruptcy. By 1978, the company had become solvent and had reverted back to the Scranton Lace Company name. The Company continued to have a key industrial presence in the City of Scranton despite its financial downfall.
Today, the Scranton Lace Company Complex remains as the last known extant example of the Nottingham lace manufacturing in Pennsylvania. Nottingham lace is machine-made lace that is an imitation of bobbin or cushion lace made on machines developed over a 100-year period in Nottingham, England. Invented by William Lee of Calverton near Nottingham, England in 1589, the machinery used to make the lace is based on the stocking frame which was a mechanical knitting machine used in the textile industry. This knitting machine was referred to as framework knitting and became the first phase in the mechanization of the textile industry. The trade started in 1768, with a modification of the stocking knitting machine to make plain net lace weaves. Since that time a number of industrious workers tried different modifications to the stocking knitting machine, but it was John Heathcote who in 1807 developed the bobbin-net machine. As the demand and sales for men's fashions declined, women's fashions required a finer weave and knitted net was introduced. This net could be embroidered or appliqued by hand. The bobbins were metallic disks that traveled backward and forward through a warp. The bobbins/discs were arranged on carrier frames placed on each side of the warp and were moved by the machine to conduct the threads from side to side in forming the lace. A Jacquard, or perforated, drum" was added to the loom ca. 1841, allowing various types of designs or patterns to be woven on the lace net. The yarn/thread is run through the perforations on the drum.
By 1870, the machinery had advanced so that there were several different types of machines that could manufacture lace, with those used in Scranton being manufactured by Jardine patented looms. Ernest Jardine was from Nottingham and perfected the loom by using steel instead of brass and iron. The use of the Jardine looms allowed inexpensive lace to be manufactured and utilized by everyone, not just the wealthy. The increased construction of lace textile mills in the United States allowed every household to have lace curtains during the Victorian era. By the early 1900s, the popularity of lace curtains had peaked and their use was falling from favor." This was due in part to the change in architectural styles from Colonial Revival with large double-hung sash to the smaller casement sash of the Bungalow and Craftsmen styles that were popular in the Arts and Crafts movement.
The process of manufacturing Nottingham lace from creating the design, to punching the cards, to threading the bobbins, weaving, and shipment, took five days. The process itself started in the drafting room (Building No 30) where designs were developed on gridded card stock in either a two-color or three-color scheme. Each pattern was tagged for the appropriate machine, quality of the weave, width of the pattern, date, and pertinent remarks. It was also noted what additional pattern numbers the design needed to match.
The pattern was transferred to punch cards in the Reading and Punching room (third floor, Building No. 4). The pattern was "developed" or designed onto punch cards that were read as either a hole or solid. After taking two to six weeks to punch 2,000 to 6,000 cards as a pattern, the cards were then sewn together on a strand so that they were threaded together. Once they were threaded together, wires were inserted and the loop was hung on a Jacquard on the loom, similar to computer paper.
In the yarn prep area (second floor, Building 4), the yarn came in a skein and was rewound onto individual spools from Building 6. These spools were saved and recycled as part of the weaving process. The yarn type was based on three items: quality, strength/durability, and grade. Lace could be manufactured with cotton, linen, silk, or polyester thread or a combination of any of these materials. At Scranton Lace they used three types of blends: 100% cotton, 75% cotton and 25% polyester blend, and 100% polyester. Three thousand yards of yarn were wound on a spool or spindle. If the thread broke, the machine stopped, and then someone from the machine shop rethreaded the machine and restarted it.
Unique to the Nottingham loom was the brass bobbin. The Nottingham loom was a three-thread process with a combined feeder bar and bobbin. Each bobbin was rewound with 3,000 yards of yarn. After each of the bobbins was wound, they were placed on a carriage, jack, or frames of pins where they were fed on a drum or warping mill, through brass plates perforated with holes, according to the number of threads placed in the warp (Building No. 31; First floor of Buildings 2, 3, 4, 31, 33, and 36).
The warps varied in width according to how they were used and were run on warp beams. The beams were steel rollers of various thickness and widths as long as 154 inches. For every machine, there was a main warp that formed the groundwork of the pattern. This was supplemented by auxiliary warps of various sizes and threads that were used to perfect the patterns. The auxiliary warps could be replaced from time to time. Part of the thread also went to the bobbin that moved the thread in the opposite direction. The bobbins formed the design of the lace by twisting around the warp threads."
The Nottingham looms used at Scranton Lace were manufactured by John Jardine, who was the inventor of the process and was one of Nottingham, England's largest employers. He is credited for reengineering the looms with steel instead of brass and iron. Each loom was rated by the number of points (pt). There was 10 pt, 8 pt, and 6 pt. The 10 pt had 10 warps, 10 threads per inch, and 10 bobbins. The 8 pt had 8 warps, 8 threads per inch, and 8 bobbins, and 6 pt has 6 warps, 6 threads, and 6 bobbins. The 6 pt loom had a much looser weave than the 10 pt loom: the 10 pt loom had 10,000 threads moving at one time front to back, the 8 pt had 8,000 threads and the 6 pt had 6,000 threads. The looms were 42 feet wide, weighed 15 tons, and were 2½ stories tall. Each thread was handled separately and numerous hours were required to thread a machine with a warp that was 154 inches in length. Within this length, the dimensions of the patterns could be repeated as many times as size allowed. A single loom could weave six to seven lace cloths at one time. The quality of the lace is based upon the machine being dense or open.
After the work was completed, it was taken off the loom, placed in canvas carts, and taken to the Brown Room (Building No. 9) where it was inspected for quality control. Each cloth was inspected for imperfections and if any defects were found, they were marked and then repaired in order to be made first quality. Each division of the cloth was then sewn together in the Grey Room (Building No. 5) and put into bundles for washing, bleaching, and dyeing.
From the Grey Room (Building No. 5), the string, or now bundle, of lace was sent to the Rinsing Room (Building No. 10 (k)) to be washed. It was then conveyed into what was called a J box and shot into the "quere" so that 20,000 yards of lace could be washed at one time. From the Rinsing Room (Building No. 10), the bundle was then taken to Building No. 11 (n), where the lace was bleached and rinsed again in order to take a dye. Scranton Lace used 39 different dyes. Once the fabric was dyed, the bundle was then rinsed again. It was at this segment that soil releasers, shrinkage control, and wrinkle-free additives were added to the process, and then excess moisture was squeezed out.
The next part of the process involved the lace bundles being put into a drying trunk and dried at 250 to 280 (Building No. 9). Drying took four to six hours, drying 80 to 3,600 yards at one time. The lace bundles were unraveled and then fed into a tenting machine where the lace was laid flat and straightened out to its original size. Mirrors were located on the machine to assist in the straightening prior to drying. Once they passed through the "oven," they were now the correct size, color, and shape.
In the Assembly Area (Building No. 9), the lace was inspected a second time for imperfections. If any irregularities were found, the machine was stopped, and the piece was marked with an orange sticker. The lace was then inserted back into the J box to go to the cutter. The lace was cut into firsts and irregulars. After being cut, the lace was separated into three operations: tablecloths, curtains, or bedspreads. The sewing section would put a scallop on the curtain and fold it into a specific size to fit an 8½-inch, 10-inch, or 11-inch bag. The piece was inserted with a piece of chipboard and placed on a conveyor belt to go to the Shipping Room or Warehouse (first floor of Buildings No. 16 and 24).
The Warehouse (Building No. 37) could store up to 200,000 square feet of boxed product that could be sent directly to the customer. Each item was weighed and given an EDI-ASN number and bar code so the company could track the product. The product was then shipped to the retailer, which included department stores, specialty stores, discount stores, or "mom and pop" stores in all 50 states.
In designing and manufacturing its product, Scranton Lace took into consideration the technical awareness and finishing, washing and use, and ease of care for busy customers who used its lace products.
Other than the Scranton Lace Company Complex, the only other known lace manufacturing plant in existence in Pennsylvania is one building that was part of the Wyoming Valley Lace Mills in Luzerne County. All of the other mills closed between the late 1930s and early 1950s. The two other major plants; Quaker Lace and North American Lace, both in Philadelphia; closed in the late 1980s. Today, an elementary school stands on the site of the Quaker Lace factory. In June 2010, the Wilkes-Barre Lace Company was demolished after a fire in 2007 caused its destruction.
Architecturally, Scranton Lace survives as an accumulation of a 60-year history of building expansion. With the exception of minor window infill, the condition of the plant remains unchanged since its peak in the late 1940s. The design of the buildings and its growth along the railroad line for ease of movement of goods are typical of industrial buildings of the era, with open interior spaces and large windows. The early brick facades and the growth of reinforced concrete structural systems highlight the industrial nature of the complex, allowing for the added height needed for the looms. The clock tower, which was constructed in 1927, still serves as an icon for the company and the region.
Site Description
The Scranton Lace Company is a historic manufacturing complex that was initially started in 1891, evolving from a small group of five buildings to a large factory complex of 32 interconnected buildings by 1946. The buildings are modest in size with brick and concrete facades that represent different vernacular interpretations of Late Victorian in the late nineteenth century to Moderne in the early twentieth century, with brick and concrete piers, cast stone pendants, and concrete relief panels. It is unknown who the architects were; however, it is known that the original five buildings were constructed by Mathias Stipp. In later years, several buildings were erected by the Morton C. Tuttle Company, Boston, Massachusetts, and one additional building was constructed by A.J. Sordoni, a Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, contractor.
Constructed in 1891 and expanded in 1906, 1918, 1923, 1925, 1937, 1940, and finally 1946, the Scranton Lace Company is a large complex of 32 industrial buildings situated between Meylert Avenue, Glen Street, Lace Street, and Albright Avenue in Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania. The Scranton Lace Company is located in north Scranton in the Green Ridge neighborhood. This intact factory complex has a total of 32 interconnected buildings of various sizes that are oriented between Meylert and Albright Avenues, creating a series of three courtyards within this site. The brick and reinforced concrete walls are dominated by regular bays of large multi-light steel windows and a clock tower that acts as an icon for the complex. The interiors of the buildings reflect their industrial heritage with large open manufacturing spaces and natural lighting. The property is in very good condition, with limited broken windows, and retains integrity as one of Scranton's largest and most intact factory complexes.
Located on 8.4 acres, the Scranton Lace Company occupies a rectangular site that extends two-and-one-half city blocks from Nay Aug Avenue on the west almost to Marion Street on the east, to Albright Avenue on the north, and to Meylert Avenue and Lace Street on the south, all within the Green Ridge neighborhood of the City of Scranton [Figure 9]. The site, immediately adjacent to the Lackawanna River, abuts a levee that was recently completed by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 2010. Although the complex is adjacent to the Lackawanna River, hydropower was never utilized to run the machinery, relying instead on commercial electric power. However, the river has flooded several times, making it necessary for later buildings to be constructed above grade. The property was also bisected by a former spur line of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad (former DL & W RR) that was removed at some point in the past.
The main facades of the buildings front on Meylert Avenue and Glen and Lace Streets on one side and Albright Avenue on the opposite side, with zero lot lines except for Building No. 8, which has a parking lot. The rear of the buildings aligns along the former railroad spur. Parking areas for the complex are located on the southeast corner of the site at Nay Aug and Albright Avenues, in front of Building No. 8 at Glen and Lace Streets, and within the courtyard of Building Nos. 16, 17, 18, 24, 28, 29, 30, and 37 (referred to as the Shipping Courtyard). The buildings are referred to by sequential numbers that were designated by the Scranton Lace Company as they were constructed and are evident in appraisal maps. Some of the buildings were numbered out of sequence (Building 8) and some buildings have been demolished over time and are no longer standing (Buildings 12, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, and 27).
The site grew from a central core of five buildings (Building Nos. 1, 2, 5, 9, and 10) that were constructed in 1891, which were two-and-one-half-stories tall and constructed in a U-shaped plan with smaller one-story infill (Building No. 5) at the opening. The construction of the one-story building resulted in the formation of a courtyard, referred to as Courtyard #1. The buildings were topped with a monitor roof that extended six feet above the roof and around the entire U-shaped roof line. Within Courtyard #1 there were regularly spaced windows on two parallel sides of the legs of the "U."
By 1916, growth of the complex extended initially northeasterly, then northwesterly across the railroad spur line, and then southwesterly with the construction of Building Nos. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 (19 is no longer extant).
By 1919, a new Building No. 19 was constructed near the corner of Nay Aug and Albright Avenues (demolished) as well as two of the lower floors of Building No. 24. Building No. 26 was constructed at the end of the site on Albright Avenue. Additionally, in Building No. 9, the monitor roof was removed and replaced with two additional floors and a shallow-pitched gable roof.
The year 1925 saw the completion of Building Nos. 31, 32, and 33, as well as an initial Building No. 25, but this building was eliminated when Building No. 33 was increased in size in 1927. The site had become landlocked in 1927, with a half-block segment of Glen Street being closed for the construction of Building No. 34. In 1937, the remainder of the block was closed with the construction of Building No. 36. Further expansion of Building No. 8 in the 1940s required the rerouting of part of Meylert Avenue and the creation of Lace Street. The buildings remain in good condition except for minor broken windows and some roof deterioration. Overall, the site exhibits good integrity and retains its original fabric and character.
Characteristic of industrial architecture, the Scranton Lace Company's architectural style is expressed primarily through its window detailing and pilasters, which are common in the early industrial buildings. In the later buildings, the horizontality of its construction and use of the metal industrial sash form a ribbon down the length of the streetscape. This rhythm is reinforced by the use of both clear and wire glass set within a repetitive fenestration pattern. This pattern is also emphasized by the use of the reinforced concrete structural system.
The buildings are constructed primarily of brick masonry and/or reinforced concrete with brick infill panels, and are supported structurally by wood, cast iron, steel, or reinforced concrete columns with wood, steel, or reinforced concrete beams. Most of the roofs are flat or gabled with ridge lines parallel to either the spur line or Albright Avenue, and some have stepped parapets. The interiors of the various mill buildings are typical of the site and period, with painted brick exterior walls, unfinished wood floors, and beam ceilings. All of the buildings have open floor plans with a central or regularly spaced column line in order to allow the maximum amount of space available for use. Access between buildings is through metal fire doors. Most of the spaces still have hanging fluorescent lighting for detailed mending. In cases where the space was used as an office, some of the ceilings were covered with acoustical tile (Building Nos. 8, 30, and 34).
The following inventory is based upon the numbering system established by the Scranton Lace Company as early as 1902, as evidenced in Scranton Lace Company building inventories, 1916 and 1925 appraisals, and 1949 Sanborn Insurance Maps. Due to the numbering system being used by Scranton Lace, there will be several gaps within the listings.
Building No. 1: Main Building Front
Building No. 1 is a three-bay wide, four-story tall, vernacular, red brick masonry building constructed ca. 1891, with additions constructed in 1927 and 1940. When the building was initially constructed it was two-and-one-half-stories tall with a six-foot-high monitor roof. When part of Glen Street was closed in 1927 to allow for plant expansion, the original front facade was removed and Building No. 34 was constructed. It appears that the front facade of Building No. 1 dates to this period as the clock tower was constructed at this time. Building No. 1 is located next to Building No. 34 and forms the end of Courtyard #1 with Building Nos. 2 and 9.
The current front facade faces Glen and Lace Streets and is three bays wide on the first and second floors with paired 28-light industrial sash with a metal mullion dividing the sash. Within the sash, the second and third rows of sash from the top, pivot on a central horizontal spine. The windows have concrete sills. On the southern corner is a seven-story clock tower with a clock face on all four sides. The four-story tall tower base is covered with stucco on all four sides, with "1927" inscribed in the southeast corner just above the ground line. A hexagonal, copper-sided drum rests on top of the four faces. Each drum face is open for ventilation. At each corner is a triangular pedestal topped by an urn. Atop the drum is a hexagonal copper roof that sits on a hexagonal base. At the corner of each face is an antefix. The roof is capped with an eight-sided walkway and a four-sided lantern light.
A pedestrian bridge connects Building No. 33 to Building No. 1 over the former DL & W RR spur line. This bridge is supported by a Baltimore truss with a band of industrial sash set behind the truss. The flooring and ceiling are concrete. All of the surfaces are painted.
The first-floor interior is open with painted masonry walls and a wood ceiling. In the southeast corner is a stair tower that leads upwards to the clock face and downwards to a door that empties into the loading dock in Building No. 34.
The second-floor interior has paired cast iron columns. Each column has a painted small-coved wood capital and painted beams. The exterior masonry wall that faces Courtyard #1 has been infilled and painted, though the paint is peeling. The floors are narrow tongue-and-groove wood flooring that has been damaged near the front exterior wall. Access to the pedestrian bridge is from this floor.
The third floor also has paired cast iron columns with painted wood beams and a wood floor. A double row of columns is found in the off-center bays. The demising wall between Building No. 1 and Building No. 34 has been removed and is supported by a large steel "I" beam. A beaded board-enclosed office is found in the northwest corner with walls that only extend up to about nine-and-one-half feet, with the remaining space open to the ceiling. Within the beaded board walls are three bays of the 12-light wood sash. Maple flooring was added to the third floor in 1938.
Building No. 2: Main Building Left
Building No. 2 is a 15-bay wide, two-and-one-half-story tall, vernacular, brick masonry building initially constructed ca. 1891. It was modified in 1898 and 1919 with an upper-floor addition. Building No. 2 is located perpendicular to Building No. 1 and fronts on both the former DL & W RR spur line and Courtyard #1. The building was used for weaving on the first floor, mending on the second floor, and pattern storage and mending on the third floor. Inside the building the exterior walls contain windows that have paired, one-over-one wood sash, with a single light transom, all set within a single segmental brick arch. The building is capped with two types of roofing systems: a gable roof over the four-story section at the southwest end and a monitor roof at the northeast end. The monitor is capped with a low-pitched asphalt roof. The glazing within the monitor itself is 10 bays of paired, two-light wood sash with paired clapboard panels between each window.
Each floor is supported by painted cast-iron columns located within the center line of the building. The columns support painted wood beams with a painted wood concrete ceiling. The floors are tongue-and-grove wood floors. Offset from the columns is sprinkler system piping with grouped electrical conduit between the sprinkler system and the windows. Towards the north end are two machines.
Building No. 3: Main Building Addition
Building No. 3 is a four-bay wide, two-and-one-half-story tall, vernacular, brick masonry industrial building constructed ca. 1891. Building No. 3 is located between Building No. 2 and Building No. 4, with its front facade facing the former DL & W RR spur line. This building was originally used for weaving on the first floor, mending on the second floor, and pattern storage in the attic.
The second-floor windows are paired, one over one wood sash, with a single light transom, both set within a segmental brick arch with concrete sills. The building is capped with a monitor roof. The masonry is covered by large amounts of vegetation on the spur line elevation. The second floor of Building No. 3 is connected to Building No. 32 via two adjacent pedestrian bridges that span the former DL & W RR spur line. These bridges are located side by side. The other bridge connects to Building No. 2 at the stairwell. The bridge from Building No. 3 to Building No. 32 slopes between the two elevations and is supported by a Warren truss on each side with two paired six-light industrial sash set with a metal frame, all set within concrete. Eight lines of conduit edge the left side in front of the truss while the right side has two cast iron pipes. All of the surfaces are painted.
Building No. 4: Warp Building
Building No. 4 is a multilevel, vernacular, industrial building constructed ca. 1906. Building No. 4 faces both the former DL & W RR spur line and Courtyard #2 and is located between Building Nos. 3 and 13. Courtyard #2 comprises Building Nos. 4, 5, 11, and 13. Building No. 4 contains two distinct halves: the three-and-one-half-story section originally housed weaving on the first floor, a winding room on the second floor, and a punch room on the third floor; the two-story section had a weaving room on the first floor and a winding room on the second floor.
The three-and-one-half-story section (southwest end) is four bays wide on the first and second floors and five bays wide on the third floor. A gable roof spans between brick stepped parapets. The windows on the first floor are all 18-light wood sash with a flat head that is set within a segmental arch. On the southeast elevation (courtyard side), there are five tripartite, three-light sash with a flat head that is set within a segmental arch. Between the windows is a brick pilaster that stops just above the head of the arch at the stone cant. The windows on the second and third floors have been infilled with concrete block. The first-floor windows have a segmental arch header that is three bricks high, while the third- and fourth-floor windows have two-brick-high, segmental arch header openings. All of the windows have wood sills.
The second section of Building No. 4 (northeast end) is two stories tall with a flat roof. The windows all have segmental arched headers and only the second-floor windows are infilled with concrete block. The first-floor window openings are similar to those on the southwest end. A painted metal bridge connects Building No. 4 with Building No. 11.
Within the interior, the first floor has a tall floor-to-ceiling height to accommodate the 11 original Jardine looms located equidistant throughout the southwest space. There are 10 painted cast iron columns supporting cast iron beams.
Above the beams is a painted wood ceiling and there is also a wood floor. The second floor has four cast iron columns located within the center of the space supporting both wood and steel "I" beams. Along the wall between the two sections is a door opening from the stairwell and four segmental blind arches in the second through the fifth bays. The second bay has a double door. The third through the fifth bays have a tall blind, segmental arch set within the larger arch. All of the surfaces are painted except for the concrete block infill on the exterior walls. Located within the room are a number of sewing machines as well as miscellaneous storage.
Building No. 5: Machine Shop, Engine House
Building No. 5 is a one-story tall, vernacular, brick masonry building constructed ca. 1891, and is located between Building Nos. 3 and 10, creating two separate courtyards on either side, and is accessed from either Building 3 or 10. The building was originally used as a machine shop and engine house. Subsequently, in 1916 it was used as an engineering room and gray room. By 1925, part of the building was vacant and the other part was used for bleaching. By 1949, it was again used for engineering and as a gray room.
Within the interior, there are painted exterior walls with a pair of nine-light, half-panel wood doors with vertical beaded board panels below. The doors are set within a wood frame. Above the door is a nine-light transom with six operable center lights. There is a brick floor and a painted wood ceiling. The doors open into the courtyard.
Building Nos. 6 and 6A: Cotton Stores
Building Nos. 6 and 6A are one-storey, flat-roofed, infill additions between Building No. 2 and Building No. 9, with a smaller one-story, shallow-pitched gable roof extension on top. The sides of the one-story extensions are covered with painted plywood and an asphalt roof. By 1919, Building No. 6 was used as a weaving and spool room, while Building No. 6A was used as a freestanding fan house. Within the interior, both buildings have simple painted walls, concrete floors, and painted wood ceilings.
Building No. 7: Fan House - Heat, Ventilation, and Steam
Building No. 7 is a one-story infill between Building No. 4 and Building No. 11. First used as a fan house for heat, ventilation, and steam, by 1916 it was used as a warp room. By 1925, it was being used as a Nottingham warping and bleaching room, and by 1949, it was changed to a mechanical room. It has red brick masonry on two elevations and is covered with a flat roof. On the northeast end there is a small addition. Currently, vegetation is growing on either side, obscuring these elevations. The interior cannot be examined due to a lack of windows.
Building No. 8: Main Building Right
Building No. 8 is a four-story tall, vernacular, industrial building with an integral L-shaped, one-story section wrapping around the larger building. Both masonry sections were constructed at the same time with the same running bond masonry pattern with a row of headers above every eighth row. Building No. 8 is located in front of Building No. 9 and was constructed ca. 1940. The windows of Building No. 9 are evident on the interior and can be accessed through several openings between the two buildings.
The first floor from the southwest corner has three bays of industrial sash. Each bay is composed of a 24-light panel that has a four-light pivotal transom in two rows at the top. Additionally, there are three rows containing four lights in each row, two additional rows of lights with a central pivot, and then a single row of lights. The first bay has two panels. The second bay has four panels, each with a concrete sill. Along the southeast elevation there are nine bays. The first two bays have quadripartite panels. The third through the fifth bays were altered and the industrial sash below the transom bar was replaced with stucco. The transom in the fifth bay is larger than those in bays one through four. Bay seven is split with two, 12-light (two rows of six) industrial sash in each panel. Bays seven through nine have quadripartite panels except for the ninth bay, which is totally covered in vegetation.
The northeast elevation has four bays. In the first bay from the corner, the industrial sash has been removed and a garage door inserted with T-111 siding to its right and a four-light industrial sash transom above. The next three bays are two panels wide with the third bay being split with a pair of wood doors, with nine lights in the upper half and two, eight-light transoms in line with the top sash of the bays.
The second through fourth floors are similar, but the second floor has six rows of lights, while the third and fourth floors have five rows of lights. The southwest elevation is two bays wide with two panels and four panels, respectively. The front elevation (Lace Street) is six bays wide with quadripartite panels in each bay. A fire escape is located in the central bay and extends from the central fourth-floor panel onto the one-story roof, down to the column between the fourth and the fifth bays. There are concrete sills on all the windows with a stepped parapet on the southwest and northeast elevations. A concrete coping extends around both the one-story and four-story sections.
Within the interior there is a mixture of structural systems, and a vast majority of the interior demising walls between Building Nos. 9 and 10 have already been removed at an unknown time. It appears that a large amount of interior demolition has taken place on the first floor as there is evidence of acoustical tile hangers, exposed steel "I" columns and beams, and a large amount of debris littering the floor. On the second floor there are two rows of columns: a row of steel "I" columns closer in and a second row of steel "I" columns near the exterior wall. These columns support steel "I" beams. There are concrete floors on the first and fourth floors with wood floors on the second and third floors. On the second floor, southwest corner, there are three sewing machines. The remainder of the floor is empty.
Building No. 9: Bleach House
Building No. 9 is a 16-bay long, four-story tall, late Victorian style, brick masonry industrial building constructed ca. 1891, with a two-story addition constructed ca. 1919. The building is located perpendicular to Building No. 1 and is parallel to Building No. 2, forming a side of Courtyard #1. Building No. 9 is immediately adjacent to Building No. 8. This building was originally used as a bleach house. By 1916, it was used for dress finishing and merchandising. In 1925, the building was still being used for dress finishing, but was additionally used for Nottingham warping and Nottingham labeling. Then in 1949, it was subsequently used for starching and drying on the first floor, finishing on the second floor, mending on the third floor, and drying on the fourth floor.
The window openings on the first floor are either obscured by Building Nos. 6 and 6A or infilled with wood siding. On the second floor, the paired lights have been removed and infilled with concrete block leaving the two-light wood transom. The transom is set within a segmental arch, which is also set within a blind segmental arch. The arch springing line is a corbelled pilaster that extends down to the water table and up to the roof line. A rusty, galvanized metal band separates the second floor from the third floor. Above the band is a stone belt course. The third-floor windows are wood, one over one, double-hung sash with a flat head that is set within a segmental arch opening and a concrete sill. The fourth-floor windows are mixed: there are four bays of concrete block infill set within a segmental-arched opening and a blank bay; an eight-over-eight wood sash and a blank bay; a pair of 16-light metal industrial sash and a blank bay; a 16-light metal industrial sash and a blank bay; and then four bays of concrete block infill set within a segmental-arched opening. All of the segmental-arched opening sills are concrete while the flat-headed windows are brick.
Within the first floor, the former exterior wall has 15 concrete-block-infilled openings that have segmental-arched headers. The first-floor space, which currently has no natural lighting, has 14 round cast iron columns, a painted wood ceiling, a wood floor, and painted brick masonry exterior walls.
The second-floor interior comprises 14 cast iron columns eight feet on-center that support a cove-based capital that in turn supports a steel "I" beam. Between each of the "I" beams are eight-foot fluorescent lighting tubes. Above the beams is a wood ceiling. The floor is covered with wood tongue-and-grove flooring. The southwest exterior wall is painted brick masonry. The northeast wall, which is the demising wall with Building No. 8, is also painted, but its fenestration has been removed down to the floor and the transom is partially infilled at the segmental arch with plywood.
The third floor is similar to the first and second floors, with the Building No. 8 demising wall openings infilled with unfinished plywood. The cast iron columns have triangular capitals that support beams that are above 16-inch by 48-inch acoustical tile. There are wood floors, and the exterior walls are painted. Task lighting is a mixture of eight-foot fluorescent tube lighting and individual hanging lights.
Building No. 10: Chemical Mixing Room
Constructed ca. 1915, Building No. 10 is located within the interior of Building Nos. 5, 8, 9, and 11, and has no interior or exterior walls. Originally used as a chemical mixing room, it was later used as a bleaching room, and by 1949, as a grey room and washing machine room. The building has a wood ceiling, wood columns and beams, wood floors, and painted masonry walls that surround a large freight elevator.
Building No. 11: Dye House and New Washing
Building No. 11 is a nine-bay wide, two-story tall, vernacular, steel frame industrial building with brick header panels constructed ca. 1915. The building was originally used as a dye house and for new material washing. In 1919, it was used for bleaching and continued to be used for bleaching until 1925. By 1949, it was still being used as a dye house as well as for bleaching. Originally a one-story building, a second floor was added ca. 1923. The first-floor windows are four bays of metal industrial sash divided by a riveted mullion between each bay. The configuration of the number of lights per each row varies, but the total number of rows is seven. Each panel is divided by a narrower vertical mullion as well as a horizontal transom bar. Within each panel, the top two rows are the transom and operate on a pivot pin located in the muntin of the two rows. The next seven rows vary as to whether they are operable or not.
Above the storefront is a continuous brick masonry band and concrete sill. At some point in time, the second-floor windows were removed and replaced with stucco infill panels. Off center within the panel are paired, one over one, aluminum sash. Above the sash is a brick parapet with a terra-cotta coping. The building has a flat roof with a fire stair roof enclosure.
Within the interior, the first floor has an extended floor-to-ceiling height with evidence that a large amount of machinery has been removed. The walls between Building Nos. 11, 11A, and 10 have been removed, and the mezzanine in Building No. 11A overlooks the interior of Building No. 11.
The second floor is a large open space with deep steel beams spanning between the exterior wall and the painted beaver board partition. The exterior walls are painted brick masonry. Located within the space are two machines of unknown use.
Building No. 11A
Building No. 11A is a four-bay wide, multi-story, vernacular, reinforced concrete industrial building with brick masonry infill that was constructed ca. 1923. This building is located at the northeast corner of the complex in front of Building No. 13 and northeast of Building No. 11. The first two bays of the front elevation (facing Meylert Avenue) are three stories tall. The next two bays are two stories tall with a recessed rooftop addition on the third bay. Behind the two-story bay is a one-story addition with a recessed rooftop on this addition.
In the first two bays of the front elevation, all of the windows have been removed and either infilled with stucco or concrete block. Small metal sash are located just above the water table. Within the two-story section, the industrial sash remains. Within the concrete structural system, the concrete on the corner has deteriorated, allowing the rebar to become exposed. The first bay of windows in the one-story rear addition has been replaced with stucco. It appears that the second bay of windows remains.
Within the interior, the mezzanine in Building No. 11A overlooks the interior of Building No. 11. The three-story section has painted masonry walls, a concrete floor, and a concrete ceiling. The mezzanine has eight round openings in the floor with a pipe railing extending around its exterior edge. It appears that tanks may have been removed. A small metal stair extends from the second floor to the mezzanine and onto the first floor.
Building No. 13: Boiler
Building No. 13 is a two-bay wide, seven-bay deep, three-story tall, vernacular, reinforced concrete industrial building that is located behind Building No. 11A and adjacent to Building No. 4, forming the end to Courtyard #2. Circa 1915, this building was originally constructed as a boiler house, though a boiler house has been at this location since 1906. In the 1916 appraisal, the building is listed as a boiler house. By the 1925 appraisal, it is listed as a machine shop, bleach room, and electrical powerhouse. By 1949, it was again used as a boiler house. An integral smokestack for the boiler is located on the northeast corner of the building. It appears that the building has a two- to three-story section on the southeast corner and a taller three-story section on the northeast. A coal hopper was located on the northwest corner adjacent to the railroad spur line.
On the southeast elevation, there are roll-up doors on the first bay on the first and second floors and a roll-up door in the second bay of the first floor. Industrial sash is found on the first and third bays that span two stories. This same industrial sash is also found on bays one through three along the northeast (side) elevation.
The interior is a three-story open space with a concrete structural system and required piping. The exterior walls are painted.
Building No. 14: Storehouse D
Building No. 14 is located to the rear of Building No. 15 and is a four-bay wide, three-storey tall red brick masonry building constructed in 1906 as Storehouse D. The first floor of the building was later used as cotton storage. The rear elevation is not visible.
The interior is similar to the configuration in Building No. 15, with painted walls and a painted wood-gabled ceiling on the second floor. The first floor has a wood structural system with three rows of painted wood columns, painted wood ceilings, and a fire door to Building No. 15.
Building No. 15: Coal Packet Conveyor
Building No. 15 is a four-bay wide, three-story tall, vernacular, brownish-brick masonry building constructed ca. 1906 as the coal packet conveyor. In later years, it was used for cotton handling and weaving with storage on the first floor. Building No. 15 is located between Building No. 31 (to the west) and Building No. 23 (to the east), positioned in front of Building No. 14, and its front facade faces Albright Avenue. The building sits on a stone foundation with the first floor being void of any glazing. The second floor has paired two-light metal industrial sash. It appears that the third window from the north has been altered and infilled, the sill of which still remains. The third floor has a 35-light metal industrial sash with a central nine-light pivotal window. The building has a stepped parapet with an asphalt gable roof between the parapets.
The first-floor interior has four rows of painted square and round posts with beam sets supporting painted concrete beams and a concrete ceiling.
On the third floor, the window sash within the six bays along the northeast (right) elevation have been removed and infilled with plywood in the transom. In the southwest elevation (left) six bays of metal industrial sash still remain within the party wall to Building No. 31. Within the interior is wood post and beam construction with the painted wood posts extending up to the ridgeline. A ceiling does not exist on the third floor, but instead relies on the painted wood decking. The exterior walls are also painted.
Building No. 15A
Building No. 15A is a five-bay long, one-bay wide, three-story tall, vernacular, brick masonry building constructed ca. 1906. It is unknown what this building was used for.
The southwest elevation, facing Building No. 32 and overlooking the roof of Building No. 35, is only visible on the second and third floors. There is a mixture of windows with a wood door and four over four, double-hung wood sash in the first bay, and an elevated bay, possibly a stair, with a four over four, double-hung wood sash and then three, one over one, casement sash that is set within a concrete lintel and sill. The second-floor sash are all paired, four over four, double-hung sash that are set within a concrete sill and a brown painted lintel. The second-floor windows have extensive peeling paint.
The building has a slightly sloped roof toward Building No. 35 that is covered with roll roofing. Terra-cotta coping is found along the parapet. There is a full-height square masonry addition on the rear.
Building No. 16: Shook Storehouse C
Building No. 16 is a 10-bay long, four-storey tall, vernacular, brown brick masonry industrial building. Building No. 16 is located perpendicular to Building No. 34 forming a U-shape at the end of the Shipping Courtyard with Building Nos. 30 and 34. Constructed ca. 1906 as Shook Storehouse C, in 1916 it was subsequently used for a storehouse, in 1925 it was used as a stock room and for shipping, and by 1949 the first floor was used for shipping, the second, third, and fourth floors were used to house stock, and the fourth floor was used as a wet room. There are limited openings on the first floor, and the first- and second-floor windows are obscured by a tractor-trailer, vegetation, and a chain link fence. The third floor is 13 bays wide with 12, one-over-one, double-hung flat-head sash that are set within a small segmental-arched opening. The last bay on the southwest end is larger and is infilled with stucco. Set within this stucco is a single light sash. The fourth-floor sash has been removed and infilled with concrete block set within a segmental-arched opening. Every other opening has a small replacement sash that is set with the infill. There are two segmental arched, industrial sash in the gable end. The building is capped with a shallow-pitched gabled roof set between two, single-step parapets. Each of the parapets is capped with terra-cotta coping.
Building No. 16 has two primary elevations: one on the former DL & W RR spur line and the other facing the Shipping Courtyard. The Shipping Courtyard comprises Building Nos. 16, 17, 18, 24, 28, 29, 30, 34, and 37. Within the courtyard elevation, the second floor has paired, one-over-one, double-hung sash with flat heads, all set within segmental-arched openings. The third floor has a small segmental-arched opening with a flat-headed sash. The last bay closest to Building No. 24 (bb) has a door and window combination. The door has six lights over two panels with an eight-light transom. The window is an eight-over-eight, double-hung wood sash with a flat head that is set within a segmental arch. The fourth-floor windows have been infilled.
Between Building No. 16 and Building No. 30 is a two-story, stucco-covered pedestrian bridge connecting the second and third floors of Building No. 30 to the third and fourth floors of Building No. 16. There are two, nine-light metal operable sash (hopper or awning) on each floor of each elevation of the bridge. The bridges are supported by the two Warren trusses that are located around each of the two windows. The entire interior is painted except for the concrete floor. The bridge is accessed from a pair of five-panel wood doors set within a wood frame.
The interiors of all three floors have post and beam construction. A contiguous metal roller conveyor system lines both the interior and exterior walls to allow movement of finished goods from the warehouse to the public. The entire interior of the space is lined with three-tier wooden shelving. There are wood floors and painted masonry exterior walls and wood ceiling.
Building No. 17: Yarn Storehouse A
Building No. 17 is a six-bay wide, two-bay deep, one-story, brick masonry industrial building constructed ca. 1915. The building is located on the southwest portion of the site immediately adjacent to Building No. 28 on Meylert Avenue and is separated from Building No. 30 by a wrought iron gate that allows access into the Shipping Courtyard. The building was originally used for yarn storage and later operated as a lumber and carpenter's shop. The building has an uncoursed rubble foundation and a flat roof with terra-cotta coping. The first bay has a 40-light industrial sash with a central section that is operable. The sash are set upon a concrete sill. The next two bays (proceeding southwest on Meylert Avenue) are six-light sash.
The courtyard elevation is five bays wide, with bays one, two, and four from the corner each having 20-light industrial sash with a concrete sill. The third and fifth bays have paired, two-panel, beaded board doors set within a wood frame. The interior is open with painted exterior walls, concrete floors, and open ceilings. The space is filled with various pieces of machinery.
Building No. 18: Main Building Left 2nd Addition
Constructed ca. 1915, Building No. 18 is a one-story tall, vernacular, painted metal panel building that is located between Building Nos. 28 and 29, and fronts on both Meylert Avenue and the Shipping Courtyard. This building has an uncoursed rubble foundation, and is capped with a corrugated metal, gable roof with two ventilators.
Underneath the eaves are 20, three-light awning sash, and at every fifth interval there is a full-length 15-light metal industrial sash. Within the gable end are 12, three-light sash.
Within the courtyard, a small roll-up door is located in the corner of the building. Within the open interior are open stud walls with metal trusses spanning the roof.
Building No. 23
Building No. 23 is a two-bay wide by five-bay deep, three-story tall, vernacular, brick masonry building with a shed roof, and is located immediately adjacent to Building Nos. 14 and 15 on one side and Building No. 26 on the other side of a small alley. The building was constructed between 1916 and 1919 and was originally used for weaving and sales and marketing. The building sits on an uncoursed rubble foundation. The first floor has two, 36-light industrial sash, the second floor has two, 18-light industrial sash, while the third floor has two, 40-light industrial sash. The first-floor sash have stone sills and a row of headers for lintels, while the upper sash have concrete sills and a row of stretchers above steel angle iron. The building is capped with a simple brick parapet.
The side elevation is five bays deep, with the first-floor bays grouped together in pairs of industrial sash, while the fifth bay is singular. The first floor has a 24-light industrial sash, the second floor has 12 lights, and the third floor has 28 lights, with the two central sections of four lights being operable. All of the windows have concrete sills and metal lintels.
The interior has painted wood post and beam construction on all three floors, with painted exterior walls and tile floors. The interior surface of the first-floor exterior wall is in deteriorated condition. Additionally, it appears that the third floor was used for sales and marketing displays and demonstrations.
Building No. 24
Building No. 24 is a multi-story building having both two- and three-story sections that were constructed at different periods. Building No. 24 is located between Building Nos. 37 and 16 and fronts on the former DL & W RR spur line and the Shipping Courtyard. The Moderne vernacular style, reddish-brown brick masonry industrial building was constructed ca. 1918, with an addition constructed ca. 1940. By 1925, it was being used for maintenance and as a shipping and stock room, and in 1949, the first floor was used for shipping, the second floor was used as a warehouse, and finished product was stored throughout the upper floors.
The initial (first) section is a 10-bay wide, two-storey-tall building that fronts on both the former DL & W RR spur line and the Shipping Courtyard. The spur line facade sits on an uncoursed rubble foundation with an upper floor of regularly spaced 35-light industrial sash that sit on a concrete sill.
On the courtyard facade, the northeast end is a seven bay long, two-story tall brick masonry building. The first bay (closest to Building No. 16) of the first floor has paired, four-panel, wood doors with two-panel side lights and a lintel above the door, all of which are painted. It appears that there was some sort of a gabled attachment over the door that was removed sometime in the past. The first- and second-floor windows are 35-light metal industrial sash with two operable, pivotal four-light sash in the center of the window. The last bay has a single light, metal door that is set within an infilled opening. Above the door is a canopy that spans between the door and the first bay of the three-story section.
The eight-bay wide, three-story section appears to have been constructed in two phases as evidenced by a seam between the fourth and the fifth bays. When the two-story section was constructed, it appears that the first floor of the three-story section was constructed as Phase 1." Then around 1940, it appears that the upper two floors were constructed as well as the four bays of Phase 2. When the upper floors were constructed, they were toothed into the original section. Therefore, there are 18-light regularly spaced industrial sash with concrete sills on the first and second floors. The third floor has 24-light industrial sash, all with concrete sills. The lintels are all stretchers stacked vertically. On the railroad line facade, this elevation has a loading dock with a metal shed roof canopy that covers the third and fourth bays. Three bays within the second phase are recessed on the first floor with an inset, one bay wide, painted addition, and the remaining two bays are delineated by a pipe railing.
On the courtyard side, the three-story section is an 11-bay long, three-story tall elevation. The first and second floors have 24 lights while the third floor has 30 lights. There are concrete sills and brick stretcher lintels. Access to the interior is through a boarded-up entry and transom in the sixth bay from the northeast. The second access is in the eighth bay.
The interior has post and beam construction, with the first floor having a very low floor-to-ceiling height. The second floor is void of any shelving and has three rows of wood columns supporting wood beams. Painted wood decking is above the beams. The exterior walls are painted and there is also wood flooring. The third floor has a contiguous metal roller conveyor that lines both exterior walls to allow movement of finished goods from the warehouse to the public. There are wood floors and painted masonry exterior walls. The entire interior of the space is lined with three-tier wooden shelving.
Building No. 26
Building No. 26 is a four-bay wide by seven-bay deep, three-story tall, Craftsman-style industrial building constructed in 1919 for cotton storage. The building is located at the end of the site on Albright Avenue and is adjacent to the former Scranton Spring Brook Water Service, Gas Division, Green Ridge Station. The 1925 appraisal noted that the building was used for spooling, twilling, slashing, bedspread sales, marketing, and weaving. By 1949, the building was used for warping and slashing on the first floor, a cotton room on the second floor, and weaving on the third floor. The building has a concrete water table with the date "1919" inscribed on the southwest corner. On the front elevation, the glazing is covered with painted siding. The metal industrial sash have two sections of 25 lights on the second floor and 35 lights on the third floor. Each window is divided by a metal mullion and set beneath concrete lintels and sills. The building is capped with a concrete band on the three elevations with a blind lintel inset over the third-floor windows. The front elevation has a concrete molding located midway in the band. There is a large amount of environmental deposits above the band. The building is capped with a concrete coping on a brick parapet. On the front face of each corner is an inset concrete panel.
The northeast elevation (left side) is seven bays deep, with the first bay from the corner being tripartite. The remaining bays have paired sections, each divided by a metal mullion. The first and second floors follow 20-25-20 industrial sash per tripartite bay while the third floor has 28-35-28 industrial sash per tripartite bay. The remaining bays have 30-30 lights on the first and second floors and 42-42 lights on the third floor.
The southwest elevation (alley elevation between Building Nos. 26 and 23 is three bays wide with a two-bay wide stair tower. The window configuration differs due to a metal fire stair extending from the third bay, third floor to the second bay, second floor.
The windows in the stair tower are 16-light metal industrial sash. The first floor has a metal door set within a larger opening that has been infilled with stucco. A small concrete square is located on each end of the brick stretcher lintel. The second bay has an eight-light window in the transom. The second-floor industrial sash are set between brick stretcher lintel and concrete sill. The third floor has two bays of 25-light metal industrial sash with a concrete sill and a concrete frieze band.
The interior utilizes concrete mushroom columns, which in turn support a painted concrete deck. The floor is also concrete slab with painted exterior walls. Steel beams are used to transfer some of the loads from the upper floors.
Building No. 28
Building No. 28 is a four-bay wide, one-story tall, vernacular, brick masonry building constructed ca. 1920, and was used for storage. Located on Meylert Avenue between Building Nos. 17 and 18, it also fronts on the Shipping Courtyard. The building has an uncoursed rubble stone foundation with a flat roof and terra-cotta coping. Entrance into the building is from the courtyard elevation through a pair of wood doors set within a wood frame with an eight-light transom above. Immediately to the southwest are three, 20-light industrial sash, and another pair of two-panel wood doors set within a wood frame. The last two bays are two, 20-light industrial sash.
The interior is an open plan with large steel beams supporting a flat roof. The exterior walls are painted, with a concrete floor. The building is currently used for machinery storage.
Building No. 29
Building No. 29 is a one-story, flat-roofed, brick masonry, polygon-configured, vernacular, industrial building used for general storage. Constructed ca. 1922, the building is located between Building Nos. 18 and 37 at the apex of Nay Aug and Meylert Avenues. The building sits on an uncoursed rubble stone foundation and has three, six-light industrial sash along the corner of Meylert and Nay Aug Avenues. The interior has an open plan similar to Building Nos. 17 and 28.
Building No. 30
Building No. 30 is a five-bay wide by three-bay deep, three-story tall, Moderne style, reinforced concrete industrial building that was constructed ca. 1922-1923. Fronting on Meylert Avenue and perpendicular to Building No. 34(b), the building was originally used for offices, both corporate and personnel, sales and novelty, and for finishing bedspreads. By 1949, the building was used for offices on the first floor, manufacturing on the second floor, and packaging on the third floor. The building sits on a raised stucco water table with two pairs of 10-light industrial sash on the basement level. The glazing has either been back-painted blue or covered on the interior with plywood due to damage. In the center bay is a pair of single-light, wood doors set within a wood frame. On either side of the doors is a full-length single-light side light, all of which is set within a wood frame. A flat roof canopy is hung from wrought iron rods on the second floor. Lettering appears to have been removed from the valance. A bronze plaque next to the left door reads "SCRANTON Lace Co".
Within each bay of the building, the first-floor windows have paired, one-over-one, double-hung wood sash. A stucco panel tops the window beneath the reinforced concrete band. Underneath the stucco may be a single light transom that is visible on the southwest elevation (left side). The second and third floors have 25-light quadripartite industrial sash set within a concrete sill. Beneath the sill is a painted brick panel. Each of the industrial sash panels is separated by a metal mullion using wire-glass glazing, with the second row from the bottom being clear glass. The building is capped by a molding at the top of the parapet edge.
The southwest elevation is three bays wide with two different types of windows on the elevation. The first floor has quadripartite, one-over-one, double-hung wood sash with a single light transom above, though the central bay transom
has been infilled with stucco. The second and third floors have tripartite industrial sash with a different window configuration in each bay. Each sash is deeply set within the opening. From the west corner of the second floor, there are 24 lights in each panel in the first bay, 10-30-30 lights in the second bay, and 30 lights in each panel in the third bay. The third floor is also a different configuration with 15-25-25 lights in the first bay, 25-30-25 lights in the second bay, and 30-25-30 lights in the third bay. Below each sash is a brick panel with a concrete sill. The northwest elevation is also five bays wide with two pairs of one-over-one, double-hung sash with a single light transom above. The paired sash are separated by a wood mullion. The second and third floors have quadripartite industrial sash with 25 lights on the second floor and 20 lights on the third floor, with brick panels underneath. All of the bottom second-row glazing is clear, presenting a ribbon effect within the elevation.
Spanning the former railroad spur line and between Building Nos. 30 and 16 is a two-story, stucco-covered pedestrian bridge connecting the second and third floors of Building No. 30 to the third and fourth floors of Building No. 16. There are two, nine-light metal operable sash (hopper or awning) on each floor of each elevation of the bridge. The bridges are supported by two Warren trusses that are located around each of the two windows. The entire interior is painted except for the concrete floor. The bridge is accessed from a pair of five-panel wood doors set within a wood frame.
The building is entered through a pair of double doors and up a flight of stairs to the main hallway. A painted concrete mushroom column is found immediately on the left. Several acoustical tile panels were removed to indicate that the office partitions extended beneath the floor plate. The plant inventory from 1916 to 1932 noted that the partitions were manufactured by Dahlstrom. The ceilings were lowered on the first floor to coincide with the meeting rail of the first-floor windows. The original ceiling height is viewed in the first-floor right front room, which is exposed, painted concrete.
The second floor is accessed from a rear box stair that has a window that looks out onto the rear courtyard. The mushroom capital structural system continues throughout the second floor. It appears that 12" X 12" concealed-spline acoustical ceiling tiles had previously been glued to the ceiling and have either been removed or have fallen to the floor. Obscure glass is found in the partition glazing. Interior walls have painted beaded board. Doors are either half-glazed doors with obscure glass or five-panel wood doors.
The third floor has two rows of mushroom capital columns with wood floor underlayment with vinyl tile above. The concrete ceiling is covered with 12" X 12" acoustical tile ceiling panels that are glued on the concrete with mastic. Three bays of tripartite industrial sash separate Building No. 30 from Building No. 34. The concrete columns are painted as well as the exterior walls. Some of the original pendant lights also remain.
Building No. 31
Building No. 31 is a seven-bay wide, three-story tall, Moderne style, reinforced concrete building that is located on Albright Avenue between Building Nos. 33 and 15. Originally used for warping and winding, Building No. 31 was constructed in 1925 at a cost of $140,536.20. On page 949 of the 1916 to 1932 Scranton Lace Plant inventory, it is noted that "Buildings 31, 32, 33 and bridge between Buildings 32 and 3 were erected by Morton C. Tuttle Company at cost plus basis with a fixed fee which exceeded the 8% by 2666.37. Each bay is defined by the reinforced structural concrete and eight-withe-high brick panels. Above the brick panels are 30-light tripartite metal industrial sash with each section separated by metal mullions. The third floor has a 36-light metal sash in each section. The building is capped by a continuous molded cornice extending from Building No. 33 and has a flat roof. The first-floor windows have been removed in three bays. The third bay from the northwest end is a former loading dock with a roll-up door and a metal door in one panel with stucco infill around them. A shed roof canopy extends over the loading dock.
On the former DL & W RR spur line elevation, only the third-floor elevation is visible due to the first and second floors being obscured by Building No. 35. The third-floor slab and the roof slab are expressed in reinforced concrete with mushroom capital pilasters on the beam line. The concrete is in deteriorated condition. In between the slabs is a brick masonry wall with a regularly spaced metal industrial sash. Each sash is tripartite in configuration with 16-20-16 lights on the second floor and 20-25-20 lights on the third floor, except for the last bay that has only one panel with 24 lights on the second floor and 30 lights on the third floor. Each of the windows has a concrete sill and lintel; the lintel abuts the concrete slab above it. Each industrial sash panel has an operable section in the center two lights within the second and third rows from the top of the sash.
The interior is organized around two rows of concrete mushroom capital columns. It is unknown who the architects were, but they were fairly knowledgeable about reinforced concrete design, as the use of concrete mushroom capital columns greatly increased the economy of concrete construction by eliminating beams and girders within the building. Each of the columns supports a square plinth and a concrete slab above. Below the columns is concrete floor. The exterior walls are painted as well as the ceiling. On the third floor, the demising wall between Building Nos. 31 and 15 has six bays of industrial sash with a varying number of lights within each bay.
Building No. 32
Building No. 32 is a single-bay wide by a three-bay deep, three-story tall, vernacular, reinforced concrete connector that was constructed simultaneously with Building No. 31. In 1925, it was eventually connected with Building No. 33 at a total cost of $36,443.03.
Building No. 32 is located between Building Nos. 33 and 35 and dead ends into Building No. 31. A pedestrian bridge from Building No. 32 to Building No. 3 slopes between the two elevations and is supported by a Warren truss on each side, with two, paired six-light industrial sash that are set with a metal frame, all set within stucco. Eight lines of conduit line the left side in front of the truss while the right side has two cast iron pipes. All of the surfaces are painted.
Immediately to the right of the pedestrian bridge is a set of scissor stairs and ramps that go to Building No. 31. The walls are painted with pipe railings on the ramps and stairs.
Building No. 33
Building No. 33 is a 15-bay wide by nine-bay deep, three-story tall, Moderne style, reinforced concrete industrial building constructed between 1925 and 1927 at a total cost of $230,537.36. Building No. 33 is immediately adjacent to Building No. 36 and was constructed simultaneously with Building Nos. 31 and 32. A partial fourth floor is only found on the southwestern end of the roof and is seven bays long by nine bays deep.
Within the first bay of the west end is a main entrance and staircase to the upper floor. The entrance is defined by three metal doors that have a single panel below and a half-light above. Metal panels have been placed over the glazing to prevent burglary and/or vandalism. Above each door is a single light transom, which is damaged. The doors are set within a recessed stucco entry with a simple molded frame. Beside the left side of the door is a brass plaque that reads "EMPLOYEES ENTRANCE ALL OTHERS APPLY AT THE OFFICE." Above the entrance is a semi-circular canopy with "THE SCRANTON LACE" on the valance edge. The canopy is supported by two turn-screw cables.
Above the canopy is a 15-light industrial sash on the second floor and a 12-light sash on the third floor. The third-floor lintel is an architrave that is part of an entablature end return. On the first floor, bays two through six have a stuccoed water table, have regularly spaced industrial sash on the upper floors, and are capped with a molded cornice at the third-floor roof line. Each window bay has a tripartite industrial sash with 45 lights in each panel. Each panel is separated by a metal mullion. Within each window the second and third rows pivot to allow ventilation. The windows along the sidewalk and street have been broken. Below each window is a brick panel with a concrete sill that is set within the reinforced structural system. The first- and second-floor brick panels show signs of efflorescence.
A partial fourth floor has six blind panels that are topped by a simple band. Starting on the first bay at the corner (above the door bay), and wrapping around the southwest facade is a series of molded panels between three bays of 20-light industrial sash with metal mullions between the first and last columns of lights. The center three sash are 12-light industrial sash set within a center-raised section with raised pilasters on each corner.
A pedestrian bridge connects Building No. 32 to Building No. 1 over the former DL & W RR spur line. This bridge is supported by a Baltimore truss with a band of industrial sash that is set behind the truss. The floor and ceiling are concrete and all of the surfaces are painted.
The first and second floors were used for winding brass bobbins and Nottingham weaving. The space is characterized by two rows of painted concrete mushroom capitals columns, painted exterior walls, and concrete slabs for floors and ceilings. The first floor has a high-speed warp machine, with additional warps covering the floor behind the machine.
The third and fourth floors were used as employee recreation facilities, with a cafeteria, bowling alley, men's and women's lounges, and a gymnasium with a small stage at one end of the third floor, and lockers and the upper portion of the gymnasium on the fourth floor. The cafeteria is accessed by immediately turning left from the pedestrian bridge. The cafeteria has three rows of steel "I" columns and beams with an orange-red Roman brick wainscoting around the entire room. Above the wainscoting are plaster walls, a painted concrete ceiling, and a green and white checkerboard terrazzo floor. A kitchen is located immediately to the left of the entrance. Stacked at the opposite end are the punch cards for the lace designs.
Immediately to the right of the entrance to the cafeteria is an industrial sash curtain wall with a four-lane bowling alley behind the glazing. Immediately inside the entrance are two partial settees for bowlers. Centered between the second and third lanes is a wooden walkway to the service area behind the lanes. The pins are located adjacent to the service area and are hand-placed.
On the opposite wall from the cafeteria entrance is a pair of wooden doors that lead to a shallow plaster, barrel-vaulted, pre-function space separating the gymnasium from the men's and women's lounges. Along the west wall is a mural, with the east wall having a recessed storefront/display window. On either side of the storefront/display window is a pair of wood, double doors accessing the men's and women's lounges. The doors have a half-light above and wooden panel below set within a wood frame. The men's room has Roman brick wainscoting with green plaster walls, and a limestone fireplace surround. There is a central "I" beam and wood cornice molding around the entire perimeter of the room. A radiator is located underneath the industrial sash windows. The women's room is adjacent to and similar to the men's room, but has two built-in benches on either side of the fireplace. The fireplace surround and cornice molding have been removed as well as the carpeting, which has exposed the concrete slab flooring.
To the left of the vaulted hallway is the entrance to the two-story tall gymnasium. A small stage is located at one end, with basketball hoops at both ends. Steel beams span the space with steel "I" columns anchored within the wall that in turn support elevated seating. The walls are painted structural concrete and Roman brick, and the ceiling is painted concrete. The playing surface is a wood floor.
Above the men's and women's lounges on the fourth floor are the men's and women's locker rooms. Large painted steel beams span the space, which has plaster walls and a concrete floor.
Building No. 34
Building No. 34 is a three-story tall, Moderne style, reinforced concrete industrial building that was constructed between September 30th, 1927, and March 31th, 1928, at a cost of $129,851.85. The building is located on the former Glen Street that extended from Albright Avenue to Meylert Street. Glen Street was closed off to allow additional manufacturing space. Building No. 34 is immediately adjacent to Building Nos. 30 and 1.
The first floor of Building No. 34 is recessed, one bay deep, six bays wide, and was used as a loading dock. A roll-up door is located in the first bay. There are two bays of 35-light metal industrial sash. In front of the fourth bay is a raised loading dock for the roll-up door, and two bays of 35-light metal industrial sash. Each of the industrial sash has a concrete sill. Supporting a second-floor beam are two steel, riveted "I" columns with a bracketed arm light fixture that frame the loading dock.
The second floor is slightly recessed behind Building No. 30. The second and third floors are four bays wide. The first bay has 30 lights while the second bay has 25 lights. The third bay, which spans the loading dock, has quadripartite light with 30 lights in each section that are separated by metal mullions. The last bay has 20 lights. All of the industrial sash have a concrete sill. Beneath the third-floor sill and the structural band at the second and third floors are painted brick panels. In the section between the second and third floors is an inset panel that reads "SCRANTON LACE COMPANY." The building is capped with a simple molded parapet and a flat roof.
Building No. 34 is perpendicular to both Building Nos. 30 and 16, forming a "U" on one side. The southwest elevation is narrow and faces the Shipping Courtyard and the bridge between Building Nos. 16 and 30. The first floor has brick masonry with a central door and a roll-up door with a two-light transom. Above the door is an upper level of three bays of 12-light industrial sash, a pair of 12-light industrial sash with a metal mullion dividing the sash, and then a third bay of 12-light industrial sash. All of the upper-level sash have a concrete sill. The third and fourth floors are stucco with a continuous band of sexpartite industrial sash with 15 lights in the first and sixth panels and 20 lights in the central four panels. Each of the panels is separated by a metal mullion. The parapet has a simple cornice that ties into Building No. 30.
The rear elevation that fronts on the former DL & W RR is a four-bay wide, three-story tall edifice with the first two floors having 18-light industrial sash in the first two bays and brick in bays three and four, with a possible entrance. The second and third floors have a 30-light industrial sash set within a reinforced concrete frame. The third-floor windows have a brick panel beneath the windows. There is a small standing seam gable canopy over the entrance.
The interiors of the three floors have open floor plans and two rows of painted steel "I" columns and beams that mirror the main columns at the front. The paint is peeling on the beams. The exterior walls are also painted as well as the demising masonry walls with Building Nos. 16 and 30. Vinyl tile is used on the floor. On the northeast corner of the second floor, there is an enclosed fire stair with pipe tailings and painted masonry walls. Given its central location, access to Building No. 30 is through a fire door. Access to Building No. 16 is through a metal, pulley-weighted fire door fitted to conform around the merchandise roller system. On the northeast side adjacent to Building No. 1, both buildings share a structural column line. There is no demarcation or party walls when you travel from Building No. 34 into Building No. 1. The third floor has a skylight that is near the stairwell with glazing that has been damaged by vandals and is completely missing glazing, allowing moisture to penetrate the building.
Building No. 35
Building No. 35 is a one-story tall, vernacular, brick masonry building constructed ca. 1929. The first floor extends to the railroad right-of-way and has a continuous row of 30-light industrial sash that is obscured by vegetation on the exterior. The interior has a concrete floor with wood post and beam construction with three rows of painted columns. The exterior masonry wall is painted as well as the wood-decked ceiling. The demising wall with Building No. 31 is delineated by a row of wood columns and a beaded board encased beam.
Building No. 36
Building No. 36 is an eight-bay wide, three-story tall, vernacular, brick masonry industrial building constructed in 1937-1938 by A.J. Sordoni, a Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, contractor. The July 13th, 1937, issue of the Scranton Times noted that "the company plans to install eight new weaving rooms...the machinery alone, it was said, at the time cost $160,000." The building was constructed at a cost of $68,030.87. In order to construct the building, the Scranton Lace Company needed permission from the Scranton City Council to close the remaining section of the block of Glen Street. Building No. 36 is immediately adjacent to Building No. 33 on Albright Avenue and its rear facade fronts on the former DL & W RR spur line. There are openings between the two buildings.
The front elevation (Albright Avenue facade) has a painted stucco water table, with glass block denoting the bays. The glass block on the first floor is in deteriorated condition. Coinciding with the structural system and dividing the glass block into three vertical bays are steel beams that are painted yellow. The glass block had been removed on the first and second floors of the first, fourth, fifth, and eighth bays and infilled with stucco painted pink. Centered in the second section is a mechanical vent. Each vertical panel has concrete sills and is topped with a stretcher header. The building is capped with concrete coping on its brick parapet. The structural steel within the glass block glazing gives vertical emphasis to the facade while the remaining buildings on Albright Avenue have a strong horizontal emphasis due in part to the continuous cornice line and the long, low nature of the adjacent buildings with ribbons of industrial glass.
The side elevation (southwest elevation) is a mixture of red and brown masonry, where the brown masonry appears to denote the structural system of the building. The rear elevation, facing the spur line, mirrors the front elevation with the use of glass block.
The interior of the building is completely open to allow the use of the two-and-one-half-story tall looms. A steel "I" beam structural system fills the entire space. Located through the upper portions of the system are catwalks punctuated by orange pipe railings to allow workers to service the machinery. Both the concrete ceiling and flooring are painted.
Building No. 37
Building No. 37 is an irregularly shaped, three-story tall, vernacular, reddish-brown brick masonry building that was constructed ca. 1946 as a finished product warehouse. The three facades mirror the curve of Nay Aug and Albright Avenues and have regularly spaced industrial sash. From the corner of Meylert and Nay Aug Avenues, the first face is five bays wide. The second face is six bays wide while the third face is four bays wide. The building sits on an uncoursed rubble stone foundation. The first and second floors have 16 lights while the third floor has 20 lights. Each of the sash has a concrete sill and a brick stretcher lintel. The first bay at the oblique corner between the second and third faces is a roll-up door.
Its rear elevation faces the courtyard and is nine bays wide with a regular repetitive fenestration pattern of 16-light industrial sash on the first and second floors and a 20-light industrial sash on the third floor. Each sash has a concrete sill and four rows of stretcher lintels.
The interior has three rows of painted wood posts and beams with cast iron beam seats to support the wooden beams. A contiguous metal roller conveyor lines both the interior and exterior walls of the third floor to allow movement of finished goods from the warehouse to the public. There are wood floors and painted masonry exterior walls. The entire first and second floors are open while the third floor is lined with three-tier wooden shelving. There is evidence of some shelving on the second floor, but for the most part it is open.
Aerial view (1937)
Aerial view (1940)
Aerial view (2006)
Action Cover July 1914. (2010)
Action July 1914. (2010)
The Ladies Home Journal Advertisement February 1921. (2010)
Scranton Bedspreads 1923. (2010)
Scranton New Outlooks for Every Home 1923. (2010)
Scranton New Outlooks for Every Home 1923. (2010)
