 P.M. Brown Clothing Manufacturer-
1904 |
Clothing Factories In Perkasie |
| P.M. Brown Clothing Manufacturer-
1904 |
Clothing Factories In Perkasie |
A major industry in Perkasie during the 1900's was the manufacture of clothing, particularly men's clothing. The brick factory buildings still stand today and many are used for other businesses. These businesses included Royal Pants Co. , H.F. Manufacturing, A.G. Pants Manufacturing Co, Wispese Company, (ladies undergarments), Perkasie Silk Company, L.M. Schwenk (pants and vests), R.M Crouthamel Inc. (trousers and clothing manufacture) Perkasie Hosiery Company , Park Hosier Co., and Vian Hosiery.
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Arthur Moyer, pants manufacturer moved into a section of the Brotherhood Lodge located at 410 Walnut Street (in South Perkasie) in 1923; there he operated a factory with approximately 30 employees for three years. The Royal Pants Manufacturing Company began growing when the factory was purchased by the Neinken family (owners of Champion Pants Manufacturing Co. of New York) in 1926. In 1927 there was an addition put on to the original factory for a cutting room; this gave the factory a complete cutting and sewing and shipping operation.. During the depression years the company kept machines running with many government contracts. To satisfy the increasing war demands in 1939 there was an addition put on the factory building for the manufacture of Army and Navy uniforms. On average, 35,000 trousers were shipped out each week during the WWII era by a work force of 700 employees. The "Royal" expanded again due to war demands adding building at 9th and Market Streets used as a stock department and a third building at 8th and Walnut Streets was used to manufacture flare parachutes for the ordinance department. In 1947 a new factory was built in Texas to make pants for Boy Scouts; civilian pants continued to be made in Perkasie.
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In 2000 these factory buildings are occupied by a variety of businesses including Seiple Tool Machine Co.(precision machining), T.S. Scientific Inc.,Skye Probetech, Mountainview Specialities Inc. (trade show and exhibit fixtures and displays) with one building available for rent.
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H.F. Mfg. is another clothing factory that existed in Perkasie. They made sportswear which was distributed throughout the United States. It was owned by a husband and wife named are Fred and Herta Rothauser who assumed ownership of the former Jay-Gee Mfg.plant and changed the name to H.F. Mfg in 1954. The building was erected in the 1930's by H.A.Detweiler for the manufacture of men's trousers. Ken Smith Basses started in the H.F. Mfg. nuilding around 1997 and moved to the A.G. Pants building in 1999.
In 2000 this building is unoccupied.
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A.G. Pants Co. Inc. was organized in 1908 by Edwin Beidler in the rear of his lot of the residence at 412 Race Street. With fifteen employees, 500 pairs of trousers were produced weekly. His son, George Beidler took over the plant in 1912. A new building was erected at that location in 1916. In 1919 an addition was built and in 1922 the final addition was made. At that time 10,000 trousers were made a week.
In 1953 the business was bought by Anthony DeGeorge and operated under the name of Beidler Clothing Co. Inc. until 1960. In 1961 it was bought by H. Daroff & Sons who operated under the name of Perkasie Clothing Co. with Anthony Giasone as general manager. Anthony Giasone purchased the business and with his sons Joe and John continued its operation under the name of A.G. Pants Co. name of Perkasie Clothing Co for many years.
In 2000 this factory building is owned by Ken Smith Basses, manufacturer of electric bass guitars.
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Perkasie Silk Company came to 9th Street in Perkasie in 1913. A large mill was erected that was filled with throwing mills that spin raw silk into different size yarns required for weaving silk cloth. The mill employed seventy-five people and produced 150,000 pounds of silk per year. The factory was expanded in 1933 and again in the 1940's.
The Perkasie Silk Company closed after World War II and the factory was used for many different business operations. Stainless, Inc. came to the factory in 1968. This manufacturer of fabricating steel towers used for television and radio used the building until 1980. The building has at times been used for warehousing since that time but remains vacant. In 1997, Northwest Broadcasting Incorporated bought the assets of Stainless, Inc. In 1999 Northwest Broadcasting Inc. gifted the property to the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority.
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In 2000 this building complex is part of a redevelopment plan for Perkasie. Doylestown architect George J. Donovan is purchasing the factory and plans to invest over $2 million to expand and rehabilitate the building into various offices. Donovan's firm will occupy 8,000 square feet of the 29,000 square foot building..