Inside the Abandoned National Silk Dyeing Co.: Paterson, NJ's Forgotten Textile Mill (Photos)

Image
  The text message from my friend J was simple: a list of addresses in Newark and Paterson. An invitation. An urban treasure map with Xs marking forgotten places. I picked the one on Piercy Street. Pulling up, I saw the building wasn’t exactly hiding. It was a behemoth of brick and colorful lettered graffiti, a whole city block of decay. A door gaped open next to an old loading dock, but the scene gave me pause. Mounds of illegally dumped trash lay along the floor of the loading bay. This part of Paterson has a tough reputation, and the open doors felt less like an invitation and more like a dare. I took a deep breath and stepped inside. The air was thick with the smell of dust and damp. I found myself in a vast, open space littered with plastic containers and skeletal metal shelving. I moved deeper, drawn toward the old boiler house section. Before I reached it, I walked into a room that stopped me cold. Everything was stained a deep, blood red. A fine crimson powder coated the fl...
Post a Comment

From Shoe Manufacturing to Music Studios: A Factory’s Past








On May 20, 2024, a 117-year-old former factory building experienced a partial collapse of its roof parapet, damaging five parked cars. The five-story building, vacant for two years, has been a concern for the local community, especially since scaffolding went up in 2022. Residents reported issues with the building’s condition since then.


The roof parapet, now wrapped in plastic as a temporary measure, is awaiting further repairs. This isn’t the first time the building has had trouble. In 2022, the Department of Buildings fined the property owner $6,250 after part of the facade parapet fell onto the sidewalk, signaling ongoing structural problems.










When the collapse occurred, over 100 firefighters responded to what they classified as a "major collapse matrix." This type of response involves both building experts and medical teams to assess the situation. Fortunately, no one was injured, and no one was trapped inside the building, which remains unoccupied.


The Department of Buildings has since ordered the owner to hire an engineer and complete a thorough inspection of the building to ensure its safety moving forward.





Over the years, the 117-year-old building has housed a variety of businesses, each contributing to the area's rich history. Some notable tenants included Elkay Brassiere Company Inc., which specialized in brassieres and girdles, and Horn Shoe Manufacturing Company, alongside other shoe companies like Rialto Shoe Manufacturer Company Inc. and Stuttgart Footwear, Inc. There was also S. Munich & Company, known for its real rock crystal cut glass, and D and E Steel Corporation.


Beyond manufacturing, the building also welcomed creative ventures such as Kyme Music, Vinyl Connect Inc., MetroSonic Studios, Aberdeen Building Consulting, and the Roebling Tea Room restaurant.








One business that stands out in particular is the Benzer Auto Corporation. During its time, Benzer retailed glare lights for $3.50 a pair. These lights were designed to provide good distance visibility and strong side lighting, a crucial feature during a period when car lights were far less advanced than today's LED headlights. Driving at night was riskier back then, and Benzer's no-glare lens lights aimed to reduce accidents in low-light conditions.


Benzer also produced rear-view wind deflectors, made from heavy plate glass and priced at $25. These deflectors were installed at the corners of a car’s windshield, where small mirrors helped deflect wind away from passengers, making for a more comfortable ride.


As of September 2024, the building remains unrepaired, with the owner, 143 Roebling Pref Investor, slow to address the significant violations following the partial roof parapet collapse. Despite the Department of Buildings’ orders and the visible damage, no substantial repairs have been made, leaving the structure in continued neglect. Residents and passersby can still see the scaffolding and temporary plastic covering the parapet, while the owner delays resolving the building's long-standing safety issues.








Sources:



1. The Corset and Underwear Review. (1927). United States: Haire Publishing Company. p.58

2. Automobile Trade Journal. (1920). United States: Chilton Company. p.530, 555, 563

3. Motor Land. (1921). United States: (p.48). 

4. Automobile Dealer and Repairer: A Practical Journal Exclusively for These Interests. (1920). United States: Motor Vehicle Publishing Company. p.67

5. Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Bulletin. (1920). United States p.5

6.  Boot and Shoe Recorder. (1910). United States: Chilton Company. p.316

7. Automobile Trade Journal. (1920). United States: Chilton Company. p.307

8. Brooklyn building that had partial collapse has history of problem. ABC7 New York.

9. Rama, K. (2024, May 20). Roof of 100-year-old vacant factory partially collapses in Brooklyn: FDNY.  Yahoo News.

10. (n.a). (2024, May 20). Building in Williamsburg has second partial collapse of roof in two years. abc7.

11. Leather and Shoes Blue Book of the Shoe and Leather Industry. (1925). United States: Rumpf Publishing Company. p.619.

12. Aldama, A. (2024, May 30). Parapet Falls on Hope. North Brooklyn News. 

Location: 143 Roebling St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inside the Abandoned R&S Strauss Auto Service Center (Photos)

Image
  I was driving towards what used to be the Consumers Park Brewery when something caught my eye—the wooden gate doors of the old auto parts store were wide open. Someone had broken in. The building had been vacant for years, even as new construction surged all around it. Right next door, a fresh, modern structure had risen, but this place remained untouched—a relic of the past hollowed out and forgotten. I pulled over without hesitation. These moments don’t come often. A while back, another shuttered dealership had been left open for months, its entrance exposed. Graffiti artists had made their mark on the metal gates, turning the abandoned space into an urban canvas. I had thought about exploring it, but before I could, the gates were suddenly chained shut overnight. The opportunity was gone. Not this time. This time, I wasn’t letting the moment slip away. I stepped inside, finally getting a look at what had been hidden behind those rolled-down gates and green plywood barriers. An...
Read more

Exploring the Abandoned Aerosol Techniques Factory in Milford, CT (Photos)

Image
When I arrived at the former Aerosol Techniques factory, I was filled with a mix of anticipation and curiosity. Meeting a group of new friends for a day of urban exploration in Connecticut, we had a lineup of intriguing abandoned sites on our agenda. Our itinerary included the hauntingly beautiful Seaside Sanatorium, a former hospital, along with a few other potential spots that we were less certain about. We chose the factory as our starting point, mainly because it offered easy access and was conveniently situated next to a Lowe's hardware store. Walking along a well-trodden path, our group made a seamless transition onto the property. The sense of camaraderie was palpable as we embarked on our adventure with eager enthusiasm. The factory grounds, long deserted, were a canvas for countless graffiti artists. Every inch of the building was adorned with vibrant and eclectic street art, each piece telling its own story. This rich color and creativity set the perfect stage for our imp...
Read more

United States Naval Air Propulsion Center (NAPC)

Image
This place holds a special meaning for me. I’ve visited several times, determined to explore every corner and uncover its secrets. But no matter how hard I tried, I never quite managed to see it all. The main front building, the one closest to the road? Never got inside. The massive cooling building in the back with its giant fans and smaller outbuildings? Missed that, too. And then there was the tank farm—a cluster of 22 rusty tanks tucked away in the upper right corner of the property. For some reason, no one ever took pictures of those tanks, even though they sat quietly in the shadows. I only noticed them recently, flipping through my old research notes. That’s when it hit me: I’d never taken the path that led there, too hesitant to get close to the Trenton-Mercer Airport’s fence line. I wasn’t here to get in trouble. I was here for the peaceful, empty buildings, not to risk getting caught wandering near airport grounds. Still, being there felt like stepping back in time. Walking t...
Read more

Abandoned Mystery Hotel

Image
A curious case of no found history. Today I present the 'Mystery Hotel' because the only relevant real estate information that could be found for this property all points to the category listed as hotels and classed as a miscellaneous hotel for land use pertaining to commercial & office buildings. Nothing could be found either in the Department of Buildings database using two known addresses for this property. I searched and searched for property records pertaining to the past uses and occupants of this commercial building but came up empty. Hopefully, in the future when development comes to this property I can write up a new update. But for now, enjoy these exterior shots I shot a few weeks ago. Former Hotel Entrance Cross Street View Now just used to store local school buses. About a month ago, there was a visible entrance inside the driveway. Someone had broken through the cinder blocked doorway and made their way inside probably to scrap for meta...
Read more