Cayadutta Tanning Company: Inside Gloversville's Dead Tannery

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The Pink Flamingo on Harrison Street Whether it is a dead mill or tannery, a car will always be sitting in a discrete corner.  Gloversville, New York, earned its name for a reason. For decades, it was the undisputed glove capital of the world. But today, the massive tanneries, dressers, stitching factories, and dyers that built this city are quietly disappearing. One of the most fascinating casualties was the former Cayadutta Tanning Company Inc. Locals called it the Pink Flamingo. Before that, it was E.S. Parkhurst & Company, a place workers simply knew as the Hair Mill. Sitting at the southwest corner of Harrison Street and NY-30A, the property spanned two parcels. A private owner held one piece of the land, while the city owned the other. Visiting the abandoned site felt like stepping into a forgotten tannery that just needed a bit of TLC and elbow grease to restart operations sans a pocketed overhead roof. Just outside the main tanning building, a junked Mercedes sa...
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Abandoned 705



From commerce to residential.

This commercial building will be no more within 30 days. Come spring the construction phase will have already begun. I investigated this building a good month back to poke around and see if I could get inside before the wrecking ball devoured its walls. On the day in question, due to the proximity of another towering residential complex, people were outside and I didn't want to be greeted by the cherries and berries because I was squeezing my backside through a back window.






So I settled myself with some exterior shots and machinery that would end this commercial property for good. According to its history, this building was purchased in 2013 by a developer for millions of dollars to become the group's new headquarters but upon inspection, revealed many numerous additions that were unsuitable for renovation purposes. Flipping the switch the developer then proposed to the city council to turn it into a residential property complex. After proposing new traffic changes, parking space, and a reduction in residential units the council approved the plan and now the city block where this property sits will feature a new nine-story apartment building.

Location: Underseal until demolition, demolished in 2018

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