Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Co. - Hunting Park Plant
There is a certain irony to the story of the Budd Company, a tale often told online. They built things to last, from automobile bodies to stainless steel train cars. Their craftsmanship was their badge of honor, and in a strange twist of fate, a contributor to their decline. When you make a product that never needs replacing, you eventually run out of customers. It’s a paradox of quality over capitalism, but that’s a story for another day. This story begins on the road, with my friend Peppa and me cruising toward Philadelphia. We were on a pilgrimage of sorts, seeking to document the beautiful decay of the city's forgotten industrial giants. The list was a who's who of fallen titans: the C.H. Wheeler Manufacturing Company , International Harvester , Freihofers Wholesale and Retail Bakery , Steel-Heddle Manufacturing Company, Uptown Theatre, a Sears Roebuck Warehouse, and Steel Units Manufacturing . But the Budd Company plant was our grand prize. From the street, the complex w...