It was an ordinary day. Once more looking at the great historical photographs that Mr. Benton Webber has posted to the Facebook website known as "Remember When.....In Lancaster, PA. This final visual story deals with a company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania known as The Stehli Silk Mill Corporation which was established in 1837 in Obfelden, Switzerland and was opened in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1898. I have written about it in the past and have posted a few photographs, but the photos that Mr. Webber posted I have never seen before. I will give you a brief story about the mill that was erected in Rossmere at the corner of Martha Ave. and Marshall Street in Manheim Township. The location was named in honor of George Ross, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, whose home sat nearby on Ross Street. Building operations were begun in the fall of 1897 and were completed in the fall of the following year. The building measured 900 feet in length and was said to be the longest structure in the United States devoted to the manufacture of broad silks. The building was one of the most up-to-date plants of its kind in America and was admirably equipped with modern machinery which was made to the highest standards. A spacious lawn adjoins the buildings which with a procession of multi-colored flowers and well-trimmed shrubbery forms an unusually attractive setting. Its picturesque surroundings are said to be the best of any other textile establishment in the world. Stehli Silks are well known to merchants everywhere as the standard of perfection. The greatest care and precision are exercised by skilled operators in all the manufacturing departments. Some of what you just read was part of a promotion to help sell the Stehli products. I never had the chance to walk through the property during it's prime, but did have a chance to see the interior of the plant after it had been disabled and sections of the building were destroyed. I still remember standing in the building, trying to imagine what an impressive site it must have been to those working at the plant. Most of the following photographs were posted online by Mr. Webber. I have added a few comments when I felt it was necessary to understand the photographs. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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| The main plant was to the left with smaller buildings behind it. |
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| September, 1918 shows a photo of the workers. |
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| 1940 Aerial photograph. The plant is in the center of the photo. |
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| The looms used to weave silk products. |
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| Workers tend to the looms. |
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| Another aerial view looking at the front of the silk mill. |
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| Lunchtime at Stehli Silk Mill |
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| Trolly system ran to the silk mill. |
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The caption says that this is a rendering of what the silk mill will look like
after it is redeveloped as an apartment complex in the near future. |
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