Old Silk Mill in York PA

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The Ashley and Bailey Company Silk Mill was the first silk mill constructed in York. It, along with the other silk mills in York, helped to feed Lancaster's largest turn-of-the-century industry, the manufacture of umbrellas. As York's first silk mill and one of the first major industries in West York, it represents not only the theme of the development of the silk industry in York, but also the development of West York Borough. As industries outside of the city grew, the increased demand for labor fostered the development of West York, which was incorporated into a borough in 1904.

The Ashley and Bailey Company Silk Mill was built in 1899 at 1237 West Princess Street, near Herman Avenue. It was a branch mill of the Ashley and Bailey Company, a silk manufacturing company organized in 1894 by Dwight Ashley, president, and George Ashley, secretary, which was based in Paterson, New Jersey. Charles E. Ashley was the manager of the mill, and Josiah Bailey was the treasurer. A deed dated March 4, 1899 states that the Ashley and Bailey Company was "solicited by the people of the city of York to establish a silk mill Similar to and for the same purpose as the silk works in Paterson, New Jersey." It appears from this and other deeds that this company was contacted by a group of prominent York businessmen, who were represented by George S. Billmeyer and John W. Steacy. Billmeyer ran a company that produced railroad cars, and Steacy was involved in the iron business.

The 1899 deed lists the terms of the agreement for the building of the mill. The Trustees, as represented by Billmeyer and Steacy, were to provide the tract of land free of charge to the Ashley and Bailey Company. They were also to erect the building and put in the engine, boiler, main shafting, force pump, electric light plant, and steam heat pipes, all according to specifications provided by the Ashley and Bailey Company. The cost of this was not to exceed $23,000.00. It appears that the Trustees took out subscriptions in order to raise the funds necessary for constructing the building. The Trustees were to give possession of the completed mill by July 1, 1899. It was the responsibility of the Ashley and Bailey Company to install all other machinery, fixtures, and appliances necessary for the production of silk. They were to pay all other insurance and taxes, and also to pay the interest at a rate of 5% on the cost of the building and machinery for a period of ten years. At the end of ten years, the Ashley and Bailey Company was to purchase the land, building, fixtures, and machinery from the Trustees for the original cost. They were also given the right to place a superintendent at the mill to oversee the construction and opening of the mill. Charles E. Ashley rented a house in York while he performed this job.

When the original agreement was drawn up in March of 1899, the Trustees had not yet purchased the land on which the mill is now situated. They purchased the tract on April 8, 1899, from Adam H. and Sarah Hoke, for $825.00. It is probable that Ashley and Bailey chose this location for their new mill in part because the street railway ran down Princess Street, directly in front of the mill. This would have provided convenient transportation for the mill workers. Also, because the Pennsylvania Railroad ran nearby, transportation for the raw and finished silk was easily accessible.

It appears that after April of 1899, the silk mill was built and equipped according to the terms in the original agreement. Initially the mill wove ribbons, but later switched to the production of broad silks. On May 11, 1909, ten years after the original agreement, the Trustees deeded the silk mill to the Ashley and Bailey Company.

On September 25, 1914, the Ashley and Bailey Company sold the mill to B. Edmund David, of New York City. The demise of the Ashley and Bailey Company was brought about by nearly ten years of labor disputes in Paterson. David took over the mortgage for $18,000.00, and from this point on, it was known as the Franklin Silk Mill. B. Edmund David, Inc. was incorporated in 1917, and their main office was located at 46 East 34^th Street in New York City. In November of 1917, B. Edmund David and his wife Hannah deeded the Franklin Silk Mill to their newly formed company. They constructed a new mill on the corner of Front and Walnut Streets in Wrightsville in 1918. B. Edmund David, Inc. bought another silk mill at 1404 Monroe Street in West York Borough in 1922 and moved its office there. Another company, David Silks, Inc. was formed by David in 1929. Its principal office was located at 180 Madison Avenue, in Manhattan, New York City. In December of 1932, the Franklin Silk Mill was deeded to David Silks, Inc., as was the mill in Wrightsville. Sometime circa 1935, the mill on Monroe Street became part of the Atlas Silk Mills of Pennsylvania, Inc. In February of 1937, David Silks, Inc. deeded the Franklin Silk Mill to business associates Louis DeRoon and Herman Slifka. Ernest Haning was District Superintendent. The Franklin Silk Mill closed its doors later that year.

The building stood vacant until June of 1942, when it was purchased by the Leinhardt Brothers for $10,000.00, and converted into a furniture warehouse. They stopped using the building for this purpose two or three years before they put it up for sale in 1988. The building may be purchased by a local developer who has plans to reuse the building for low-income housing.

It is significant that a company from Paterson, New Jersey would choose York in which to locate a branch mill. Silk manufacturing began in Paterson as early as 1840, and by 1900, it was the center of the nation's silk industry, producing 24.2% of the value of all silk goods produced in the United States. Paterson became the center of the silk industry for a number of reasons, including its proximity to New York City (the main silk market), the abundant waterpower produced by the Passaic River, the city's early start of power manufacturing, and the large supply of skilled labor, much of which came from Italy and other European countries. The 1900 Census of Manufacturers stated that the tendency of the silk industry was to spread from centralized areas to outlying locations. This explains why the main market for silk goods was New York City, yet the majority of silk goods sold there were produced in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. New York silk manufacturers moved their machinery to these two states because of cheaper rents and a larger supply of tractable labor in these areas. In 1900, the value of silk and silk goods sold produced in these two states accounted for almost two-thirds of the total for the United States.

Several of the men who started silk mills in York were either based in Paterson, received specialized training of some sort there, or were employed in the various mills in Paterson before coming to York. These connections likewise illustrate the tendency of the industry to spread to outlying regions and illustrates more clearly why a company from Paterson, New Jersey would chose York as a location for a branch mill. The most direct link between these two cities occured when several York businessmen solicited the Ashley and Bailey Company to come to York to open up a branch mill. Obviously, these men had the foresight to see York's potential in the silk industry. Although there is no written evidence as to why these men specifically chose the Ashley and Bailey Company, one can assume that there was yet another connection between these two cities which has been lost over the years.

York itself was a logical choice for silk manufacturing because of its close proximity to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The local silk industry fed Lancaster's most important turn-of-the-century industry, the manufacture of umbrellas. In 1900, Lancaster had six umbrella factories, a few being cottage industries, employing 15% of the city's industrial workforce. Lancaster, by the 1920s, produced more umbrellas than any other city in the United States. Two of Lancaster's surviving umbrella factories are Rose Brothers and Company, and Follmer, Clogg, and Company.

The manufacture of silk steadily grew to become one of York's most important industries. In 1900, only two silk mills were in operation in York. By 1904, four silk mills in York employed 1,121 people and were putting out products worth over $3,000,000.00. The amount of capital invested in these four mills was $1,670,000.00. By 1913, there were seven silk mills in operation. The silk industry reached its peak in 1928 with twelve silk mills. The number of operating mills decreased in the early years of the Depression, and finally the manufacture of silk declined in the late 1930s, due to the introduction of synthetic fibers. Most silk mills in York, including the Ashley and Bailey Company Mill, did not have the equipment to produce these new products.

It is evident from this chronology that the majority of silk mill construction occurred in three phases. The first phase occurred c. 1900, when four mills were built. The Ashley and Bailey Company Silk Mill was built c. 1899; and the Monarch Silk Mill, the Diamond Silk Mill, and the York Silk Mill were all constructed in 1900 or 1901.

The second phase of construction occurred between c. 1911 and 1923. During this period of time, three silk mills were built: The E. and H. Levy Company Silk Mill, the Souter Silk Company Mill, and the Rutland Silk Company Mill. The E. and H. Levy Company is significant in that, during its entire operation, it only manufactured silk ribbons. It was the first silk mill in York to specialize by making only one silk product.

The third and final phase of silk mill construction was from c. 1927 to 1935. During this period, five mills were built. These included the Eberton Silk Mill; the H. W. G. Silk Mill; the Tioga Silk Company, Inc., Mill; the Kroy Corporation Silk Mill; and the Blue Bird Silk Mill. As these mills were constructed much later, and were not directly related to the early silk industry in York.

Building Description

The Ashley and Bailey Company Silk Mill is a three-story brick building that presides over a largely residential neighborhood of Four-Square style homes and Mansard rowhouses. It is long and narrow, stretching the length of the block between Princess and Poplar Streets between two more recent, low industrial buildings to the east and west. Constructed c. 1899, the mill stood alone as one of the first buildings constructed west of Richland Avenue on the Princess Street streetcar line. While it does not reflect any specific style, its shallow gable roof and regular fenestration are typical of contemporary industrial design in York. Many of this building's windows have been broken in recent years, and the east wall is completely covered with ivy. Yet, compared to other historic industrial buildings in the area, this one has had very few alterations over the years.

The silk mill stands on a rough-cut stone foundation, and the sloping site reveals the basement level at the north end of the building. The walls begin at a corbeled water table and rise to a corbeled cornice. Brick piers with corbeled weathers divide the sides of the building into fourteen panels, each of which incorporates two 15/15 wood sash with segmentally arched lintels and stone sills. The west elevation is interrupted by an L-shaped, three-story tower that continues the main roof slope. Its north wall is perforated by 6/6 sash, and smaller fixed windows appear on the south wall. To the south of the tower, a relatively modern loading dock shelter with a shed roof and corrugated steel walls has been added to the main building. One of the window openings there was converted to a loading door, and one window was partially obscured by the shelter wall. Another window, located on the basement level, was covered when the ground level was regraded at the south end of the west elevation.

Attached to the tower is a broad one-story ell, constructed in two gable-roofed sections. Both sections are banked on stone foundations, so that access to the exterior was through openings in the north wall. The ell, which is original, has piers and windows that match those found on the main building. When compared to, the main building, this ell has relatively poor integrity. Most of the old openings, in particular, have been altered. The eastern segment of the ell was the engine room. It has two openings on the south elevation, one of which is shuttered. The other is a multi-paned steel window set in concrete jambs. It replaced an earlier sash when the ground level was regraded on the exterior. The west wall of this segment originally had a window, while the north wall featured a window and a wide loading entrance, which contained a transom. Both of these openings were filled in with brick at the top, and shorter wood doors enclose the lower portion of the loading entrance. The east elevation originally had three 15/15 sash windows until a small makeshift passage was added between the first floor of the main building and the ell. Window openings at both ends of the passage were converted to provide interior access between the buildings. The ell originally had a monitor roof. The roof line is now uneven, the western half having a steeper slope then the eastern half.

The mill's boiler room, which was located in the shorter, westernmost segment of the ell, has likewise seen many changes. A concrete block section in the south wall is evidence of a wide gaping hole that was probably made to remove the old boilers. An eighty-foot, square, brick smokestack formerly stood at the west end of the ell, and a roughly patched hole in the wall there likely indicates where the flue pierced the wall. The west elevation also has a window opening that has been bricked shut. The north elevation whose window and large wooden door are still present, have had their transoms bricked shut.

Close to the northwest corner of the ell is a small, brick building. Constructed c. 1925, It features modern brick, a concrete foundation, and a flat roof. Brick piers support the corners of the building, and a concrete coping protects the parapet. Window openings are small and have soldier-course lintels above them. The north wall is one large opening, enclosed by wood sliding doors.

The gable ends of the main mill building are five bays across and are divided into three panels. The eastern panels represent square stairtowers and have only one 12/12 window on each floor. At the center of the south gable wall are two stickwork doors in larg2 openings on the first and second floor, and the third floor contains a large opening that is now a window. Ivy obscures a transomed doorway at the bottom of the stairtower, and a second entrance is located on the opposite side of the gable. The area above the door that once held a transom that has been enclosed with brick. At the north end of the building, the stickwork loading doors contain multi-paned windows. The stone foundation at this end was veneered with modern brick.

The east elevation generally matches the west, however it is currently covered with ivy. The rear portion of the north-end stairtower rises above the main roof and has a large, circular wood platform on top. This served as the mill's water tower.

Several smaller buildings that had been constructed with the factory in 1899 no longer exist. Of the four buildings, two were of brick construction, the others frame. All were one story in height. The first building was located on the east side of the north end of the building and was referred to as the Silk Storage Vault. It was of brick construction with a shed roof. The windows were tall, narrow, arched, and covered with iron guard rails. The door was made of sheet iron. The interior contained shelves for the storage of silk. The building was heated by steam and equipped with a water spray to create even moisture. The second building was attached to the west side of the boiler house. This was referred to as the Underwriter's Pump House and was fireproof. It too was a brick structure with a shed roof. In the southwest corner of the property stood a rather large storage building with a gable roof. Measuring 55 x 24 feet, this frame building was used for general storage purposes. In the northwest corner of the property stood a small frame structure that was used as a stable. This structure was painted white and housed the factory's wagon, cart, mule, and necessary equipment.

Located directly outside the Underwriter's Pump House was a 40,000-gallon reservoir. Constructed of brick and cement, the reservoir was directly connected to the Underwriter's pump. It received its water supply from the city water system and several wells located on the property.

The interior of the mill is mostly open space, with exposed wood framing. Chamfered wood posts support heavy, square beams down the long axis of the building. A former office at the southeast corner of the main floor is finished with beaded-board paneling, and an enclosed elevator shaft is located in front of the former loading doors at the south end of the building. The first floor was used as the area for winding and warping, while the weaving was done on the second and third floors. The third floor resembles the first two floors, except that the center posts support roof trusses and the ridge beam.

A masonry supporting wall with corbeled brick piers carries the weight of the center posts at the south half of the lower level. This and the outer walls have exposed stone foundations. The north half of the lower level is framed similarly to the upper stories, and the outer walls are pierced by the typical sash windows. Several beaded-board partitions divide the open space, and there are newer partitions at the extreme north end.

The first section of the ell is a low, open space with heavy purlins supporting the long rafters. Originally a one-story building, a second floor has been added and is connected to the main floor of the mill by a small passageway. As a result, the south window is set at floor level.