The "My Grandpap & The History Of Armstrong Linoleum" Story - Part I

It was an ordinary day.  Waiting for my Grandpap to arrive after his shift at Armstrong Cork Company so that we could head up to Roots Sale in nearby Manheim, Pennsylvania.  My Grandpap was in charge of a linoleum-making line at Armstrong that was about three blocks away from my Mom and Dad's house on North Queen Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  During summer months he would stop and pick me up on late Tuesday afternoons so we could visit Roots Sale for supper and then make a visit to Roots' small animal auction before heading home.  More than once he had the winning bid at the auction and we would head back to my house on North Queen Street with a few more animals than we came with earlier in the afternoon.  Animals such as pigeons, rats, white mice and even guinea pigs might fill the trunk of his Buick as we pulled into a parking space in front of 929 N. Queen Street.  Mom and Dad were never anxious when Grandpap would open his trunk and pull out a large cardboard box or metal cage.  If you have been reading my stories over the past years, you more than likely read about some of the animals I raised as a child and young teenager.  Grandpap was a great guy who would also invite me to visit with him at Armstrong Cork Company from time to time to see what he did on the linoleum line, first as a worker and later as a foreman.

Working on the assembly line at Armstrong.

 I still have his Hamilton Watch that he was given for his many years of service at Armstrong which my Aunt Lois gave me after Grandpap died in the 1950s.  One thing that he did while working at Armstrong was work on the linoleum line that made the 5352 Heritage Brick pattern known as "The Christmas Pattern" linoleum.  This is perhaps Armstrong's most famous linoleum that they ever made which I believe is still in production today.  It is the linoleum pattern that was in "Apollo 13" when it was part of the Lovell family's kitchen.  It is also the linoleum pattern that was in the Huxtable kitchen in "The Cosby Show" as well as in the 1990 movie "Misery".  The original pattern was designed in shades of red, later known as coral.  There also was a version with muted primary colors and a version with neutral colors.  Then in the 1960s the pattern was rebranded as Terra Cotta which came in red, green, gold and white.  The 1970s brought a Solarian version of the 5352 which would shine without wax. 

It came in a light green, light gold, a deeper gold and white.  The latest version, which was released in 2020, had four colors which were camel, coral red, dusk and serene blue.  The 5352 pattern is among the best sellers ever at Armstrong.  Today there is a hugh, framed piece of the original product in the company's Lancaster, PA office hallway leading up to the second floor.  A plaque that hangs next to it says the pattern was designed by Mr. John W. McClurg who eventually moved to a Northern location and became a carpet designer.  42 million yards of the 5352 pattern were sold in the first 40 years.  And...my Grandpap was responsible for many of those yards which I had a chance to see in production as a young boy.  The reason why it was known as "The Christmas Pattern" was due to employees, during the Great Depression, being able to stay employed even though many other workers at other jobs were being laid off.  It was said to have been a Christmas gift to the employees to still be working.  Had the pattern not been so successful, Armstrong workers might have also been laid off.  And now...Armstrong Flooring pattern 5352 is once again coming back as a player in the 21st Century.  In what is sure to be the biggest product news of the year here, Armstrong Flooring is reintroducing its famous  5352 pattern which is now known as "Heritage Brick" in four colors.  Armstrong expects the product to be revived through flooring retailers and expects it to be more widely available as the year progresses.  So...Armstrong Flooring #5352 has been in continuous production from 1932-2000 and has once again been revived in 2020 with hopes of big sales in the next few years.  One person who has been responsible for the many, many advertisements of "The Christmas Pattern" over the years was a woman by the name of Hazel Dell Brown.  Tomorrow I will tell you why she has been known as the most influential residential interior designer of the 20th Century that you never heard of before.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.