United Wiping Cloth Company






Sometimes, in the quiet race to document the past, you’re just a week too late. That was the story with the old garment factory on Lloyd Street. I had just pinned its location in MyMaps for a trip to Pennsylvania, a promising brick shell I hoped to explore, when the news broke. It was gone.


In its place was a fresh scar on the landscape, a void where a piece of the city’s story once stood. The demolition was swift, a decisive act funded by half a million dollars in county and state money, taking with it a handful of long-abandoned row homes that had been its neighbors in decay.


This wasn't just any building. The building was originally built as a meat packing facility for Armour & Company in the early 1900s, and was later acquired by Milton Sorin and his United Wiping Cloth Company. For decades, it was the United Wiping Cloth Company, a place of work and purpose. Over the years, it had supplied rags to many varied manufacturing concerns all over the eastern United States, until its rooms fell silent for good in 2001. In 2004, a short-lived business, Auro Apllicators and Assemblies, Inc., called it home. A decade later, it found a second life. Around 2012, its sturdy industrial frame was carved into apartments, its large windows once again looking out over a city of residents, not just workers. It became a place people called home, but reportedly, one person may have only lived there.


But a devastating fire in January 2020 ripped through the building, gutting its new life and leaving behind a blackened, hollowed-out husk. The fire silenced it. For years, it stood as a wounded giant, a stark and silent monument to what it had been.


If you have a connection to any of these vanished workplaces—whether you spent time here at United Wiping Cloth Company, or have preserved a fragment of their history in your family's life, a photo, a video, a product, an employee badge, a catalog, or an old advertisement—I would be honored to share your piece of the story here. These tangible memories and personal accounts are what truly animate the silent shells we see today; they give voice to the past in a way that maps and corporate filings never can. Every image or recollection you share helps to fill the gaps, honoring the skill and community that once filled these now-quiet spaces. Please feel welcome to contribute, and know that you will be fully credited for helping to preserve this important chapter of our local heritage.




Source(s):



1. Lee, H. S. (2025, September 18). Officials tout demolition of former garment factory, homes in Shenandoah. Republican Herald. https://www.republicanherald.com/2025/09/18/officials-tout-demolition-of-former-garment-factory-homes-in-shenandoah/

2. Lindenmuth, K. (2025, September 19). Demolition begins on Bower Street neighborhood. ShenSentinel. https://shensentinel.com/news/demolition-begins-on-bower-street-neighborhood/

3. Reid, A. (2020, January 17). Fire tears through former factory in Shenandoah. WFMZ.com. https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/poconos-coal/fire-tears-through-former-factory-in-shenandoah/article_031510a8-3928-11ea-a325-5706842c2742.html

4. Lindenmuth, K. (2020, January 17). Massive blaze destroys former United Wiping Cloth building on east end. The Shenandoah Sentinel. https://shensentinel.com/news/massive-blaze-destroys-former-united-wiping-cloth-building-on-east-end/


Location: 125 Lloyd St, Shenandoah, PA 17976, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Inside the Old Remington Munitions Factory

Image
Over the years, I have had the opportunity to visit the Remington Munitions Factory three times, each visit a unique experience. The first time, I ventured there alone, driven by curiosity to explore what remained of the once-bustling industrial complex. Back then, the neighborhood was far from welcoming, and my solo exploration felt risky. However, the allure of the factory’s history and its remnants was too strong to resist. Upon arrival, the decay was evident. The complex was a shadow of its former self, ravaged by time and neglect. Scrap metal scavengers had stripped the buildings of valuable copper, steel, and iron. Every surface was a canvas for graffiti, a mix of juvenile doodles and more elaborate street art left by local kids and adventurous visitors. A fire in 2017 had already claimed part of one building, and the area had a reputation for violence, with frequent assaults and shootings on Barnum Avenue. Despite the deterioration, the factory had a certain haunting beauty, esp...
Read more

St. Michael and St. Edward Church: A Cornerstone of Fort Greene

Image
For weeks, I had been orbiting the perimeter of the impending demolition of the Church of St. Michael and St. Edward, a once revered church in the heart of Fort Greene, like a moth drawn to a flame. The neighborhood, a patchwork of tight project housing, seemed indifferent to the fate of this historic edifice. The intel I had received suggested that entry was as simple as scaling a wooden fence, yet the timing had never felt right. Until one day, it did. With a mission in New Jersey looming, I knew it was now or never. The demolition was advancing at a startling pace, the church's twin steeples already reduced to rubble. The skeletal remains of timber beams and rusted steel frames peeked out from the ruins, a testament to the relentless march of progress. Summoning a surge of courage, I seized a moment of quiet in the bustling housing project and vaulted over the fence. My heart pounded in my chest as I slipped unnoticed into the church grounds. The once grand entrance now stood as...
Read more

Exploring the Amazon Prime Fallout Locations in New York

Image
A desolate sand swept Fallout Santa Monica Pier. Discover the captivating locales of Amazon Prime’s Fallout TV series as Lucy, Maximus, Moldaver, and the dreaded Ghoul vie for the Vault-Tec cold fusion relic. Filmed across various iconic spots in New York and New Jersey, the series brings the post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, California wasteland to life. Here’s a closer look at the real-life locations featured in the show. Let me know in the comments below how much you loved the show. Were you surprised by the New York-centric locations? Episode 1 (“The End”) In a gripping and unforgettable episode, we witness Lucy emerging from the subterranean depths of Vault 33 centuries ahead of schedule, driven by an urgent quest to rescue her father, Hank, the Overseer of Vault 33. This dramatic turn of events follows the brutal infiltration of Vault 32 by Moldaver’s raiders, who cunningly disguised themselves as the already deceased rioting inhabitants of the vault. The story's turmoil begins ...
Read more

Waterbury’s Forgotten Factories: The Story of Bristol Babcock

Image
  For nearly a century, the city was known as the “Brass Capital of the World,” with a thriving industrial and manufacturing sector. But when the American brass industry declined in the 1970s, the city was hit hard by a series of economic challenges. Factories closed, jobs disappeared, and in their wake, large areas of land were left contaminated and abandoned. These brownfield sites, once bustling hubs of production, became symbols of the city’s struggle to adapt to a changing economy. By 2019, the city had made significant progress in cleaning up these sites, having remediated over 178 acres of land. Still, 140 acres of brownfields remained, with efforts underway to return them to productive use, offering hope for a new chapter of growth and development. One notable site is the former Bristol Babcock Facility, which operated from 1889 to 1989. The 6.6-acre property, with four buildings dating from 1895 to 1954, straddles the border between Waterbury and Naugatuck. The Bristol Bab...
Read more

Philadelphia Branch House of International Harvester Co

Image
On North 16th Street in Philadelphia, a quiet piece of industrial history looms—its story tied to changing times and unfulfilled promises. This building, steeped in nearly a century of commercial and industrial legacy, tells a tale of shifting economic tides and unrealized dreams for redevelopment.   From my research, the building predates the 1942 land use maps, with its earliest recorded presence dating back to the 1920s. Over the decades, the structure served various roles. It housed a branch of the International Harvester Company, a manufacturer of tractors and motor trucks, and later split its space with a Sears Roebuck warehouse. Other businesses came and went, including Hess & Son, which produced non-corrosive tinning sticks branded as Tinol; The Bunting Company, known for its powder-coated metal furniture, and The Shore Company, a distributor of shipping trailers.   Today, the building’s fate remains uncertain. Once, a vision was to transform the site int...
Read more