Rockland Silk Mill Horn Ell Steuben County

NPS Form 10-900 OMB No.
10024-0018
(Oct. 1990)
United States Department of the Interior
DRAFT
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places

Registration Form
This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the National
Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking “x” in the appropriate box or by entering
the information requested. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter “N/A” for “not applicable.” For functions, architectural
classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative
items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer to complete all items.
1. Name of Property
historic name ROCKLAND SILK MILL
other names/site number Liberty Silk Company, Steuben Silk Mills, Amalgamated Silk
name of related multiple property listing N/A
2. Location
street & number 18 N. Main Street [ ] not for publication
city or town Hornell [ ] vicinity
state New York code NY county Steuben code 101 zip code 14843
3. State/Federal Agency Certification
As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this [X] nomination [ ]
request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic
Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements as set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property [X] meets
[ ] does not meet the National Register criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant [ ] nationally
[ ] statewide [X] locally. ([ ] see continuation sheet for additional comments.)
Signature of certifying official/Title Date
State or Federal agency and bureau
In my opinion, the property [ ] meets [ ] does not meet the National Register criteria. ([ ] see continuation sheet for additional
comments.)
Signature of certifying official/Title Date
State or Federal agency and bureau
4. National Park Service Certification

I hereby certify that the property is: Signature of the Keeper date of action
[ ] entered in the National Register
[ ]see continuation sheet
[ ] determined eligible for the National Register
[ ] see continuation sheet
[ ] determined not eligible for the
National Register
[ ] removed from the National Register
[ ] other (explain)
ROCKLAND SILK MILL Steuben County, New York
Name of Property County and State
5. Classification
Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property
(check as many boxes as apply) (Check only one box) (Do not include previously listed resources in the count)
[X] private [X] building(s) Contributing Noncontributing

[ ] public-local [ ] district 1 1 buildings
[ ] public-State [ ] site sites
[ ] public-Federal [ ] structure structures
[ ] object objects
1 1 TOTAL
Name of related multiple property listing Number of contributing resources previously

(Enter “N/A” if property is not part of a multiple property listing) listed in the National Register
N/A N/A
6. Function or Use
Historic Functions Current Functions

(enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions)
INDUSTRY/manufacturing facility (textile mill) VACANT
7. Description
Architectural Classification Materials

(Enter categories from instructions) (Enter categories from instructions)
No Style foundation brick, concrete
walls brick, concrete
roof metal, rubber membrane
other
Narrative Description
(Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets)
8. Statement of Significance
Applicable National Register Criteria Areas of Significance:
(Mark “x” in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property (Enter categories from instructions)
for National Register listing.)
Industry
[X] A Property associated with events that have made
a significant contribution to the broad patterns Architecture
of our history.
[ ]B Property is associated with the lives of persons

significant in our past.
[X] C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics

of a type, period, or method of construction or that
represents the work of a master, or possesses Period of Significance:
high artistic values, or represents a significant and
distinguishable entity whose components lack 1894-1923
individual distinction.
[ ]D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information Significant Dates:

important in prehistory or history.
1894
Criteria Considerations
(Mark “x” in all boxes that apply.)
[ ]A owned by a religious institution or used for

religious purposes. Significant Person:
[ ]B removed from its original location N/A
[ ]C a birthplace or grave
[ ]D a cemetery
Cultural Affiliation:
[ ]E a reconstructed building, object, or structure
N/A
[ ]F a commemorative property
[ ]G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance Architect/Builder:

within the past 50 years
Unknown
Narrative Statement of Significance

(Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.)
9. Major Bibliographical References
Bibliography
(Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.)
Previous documentation on file (NPS): Primary location of additional data:

[X] preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) [ ] State Historic Preservation Office
has been requested. NPS #40,808
[ ] previously listed in the National Register [ ] Other State agency
[ ] previously determined eligible by the National Register [ ] Federal Agency
[ ] designated a National Historic Landmark [ ] Local Government
[ ] recorded by historic American Building Survey [ ] University
# [ ] Other repository:
[ ] recorded by Historic American Engineering Record
#
10. Geographical Data
Acreage of Property 0.93 acres
UTM References
(Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet.)
1 | 1 | 8 | 280247 4689793 3 |1|8| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing
2 |1|8| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 |1|8| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Verbal Boundary Description

(Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.)
Boundary Justification
(Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.)
11. Form Prepared By
name/title Matthew Goldberg [Edited by Jennifer Walkowski, NYSHPO]
organization Johnson-Schmidt, Architect, PC date 5/3/2021
street & number 15 East Market Street #202 telephone (607) 937-1946
city or town Corning state NY zip code 14830
Additional Documentation
Submit the following items with the completed form:
Continuation Sheets
Maps
A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property’s location
A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources.
Photographs
Representative black and white photographs of the property.
Additional items
(Check with SHPO or FPO for any additional items)
Property Owner (Complete this item at the request of the SHPO or FPO)
Name:
street & number: telephone:
city or town: state: zip code:
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate
properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a
benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.)
Estimated Burden Statement: public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including time for reviewing
instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of
this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, D.C. 20503
NPS Form 10-900a OMB No. 1024-0018
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Continuation Sheet ROCKLAND SILK MILL
Name of Property
Section 7 Page 1 Steuben County, New York
County and State
Narrative Description of Property
Summary
The Rockland Silk Mill is located on the western edge of the city of Hornell in Steuben County, New York.
The building occupies a triangular parcel of land totaling 0.89 acres, which is bordered on the east by the former
New York & Lake Erie Railroad track, on the south by Canacadea Creek, on the west by the Hornell branch of
the New York State Department of Transportation, and on the north by the West Main Street overpass. The site
is located in a small industrial enclave nestled along a curve of Canacadea Creek at the southern edge of a
residential neighborhood that extends to the north, east, and southeast. To the south and southwest, beyond
Canacadea Creek, densely forested hills rise above the property.
The industrial nature of the Rockland Silk Mill site is very apparent due to its surrounding landscape features. It
sits in the shadow of the West Main Street overpass, which runs along a southeast-northwest axis above the
building and dominates the northeast corner of the site with its heavy concrete piers. An enclosed stair provides
pedestrian access from the second floor of the building to West Main Street at this location. Below the overpass
and along the east side of the building runs the former New York & Lake Erie Railroad track. A narrow strip of
vegetation separates the building from the gravel pack surrounding the track. The track crosses Canacadea
Creek to the south via a steel trestle bridge at the southeast corner of the site. The grade slopes towards the
southern end of the site, which backs up to Canacadea Creek, and the area between the building and the creek
bank is overgrown with trees and other vegetation. To the west and northwest, a long, rectangular, single-story
brick building, part of the Department of Transportation complex, faces the Rockland Silk Mill site. The
southwest portion of the site consists of a small field overgrown with weeds, while the west and north sections
are paved in asphalt and serve as a parking lot. This parking lot exits onto North Main Street, which is the only
access point for the building.
The Rockland Silk Mill is oriented on a north-south axis within the site and consists of the original two-story,
front-gabled brick factory building and an attached single-story front-gabled brick powerhouse, both
constructed in 1894, A single-story, flat-roofed concrete masonry unit addition was constructed to the west (see
enclosed site plan for layout details and construction dates) in 1957, after the period of significance, and is a
non-contributing building. The two buildings were originally connected by a central addition, also built in 1957,
but it was removed in 2021, creating a courtyard. The factory measures five bays wide by twenty-one bays deep
and is perpendicular to the four-bay-wide by four-bay-deep powerhouse at the northwest corner. The original
factory and powerhouse sections are characterized by brick construction supported by brick pilasters, gabled
rooflines, and large, regularly spaced, segmentally arched replacement windows containing paired four-over-
four rectangular wood sash. The addition is utilitarian in nature and features limited fenestration, consisting of a
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metal roll-up garage door and metal slab loading bay entrance door in the north elevation of the western
addition.
The Rockland Silk Mill is currently vacant and has been since the last occupant closed in the early 2000s.
However, construction is nearly complete to reuse the site as an apartment building; currently, the final touches
are being made before tenants can move in. The interior spaces of the original 1894 factory and powerhouse, as
well as the 1957 addition, are supported by exposed structural systems. The factory features a series of metal
columns running along the center of each floor supporting wood beams and trusses above, while the
powerhouse features a wooden truss support system. The addition features ceilings composed of metal bar
joists. The 1894 mill structures retain several historic features on the interior, including exposed metal columns,
wooden beams and trusses, exposed brick walls, wood floors laid on a diagonal, part of a historic freight
elevator shaft, and two historic wood stairs.
Site Plan, showing dates of construction

Not to scale
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EXTERIOR
The original 1894 factory and powerhouse of the Rockland Silk Mill are characteristic of typical late-
nineteenth-century textile mill design and feature many of the elements associated with this specialized type of
industrial architecture. The most notable of these elements associated with the exterior of the building are the
load-bearing brick walls supported by brick piers, which were engineered to accommodate the largest possible
openings for windows to illuminate the interior workspace.
Factory (1894)
The factory was constructed as part of the original Rockland Silk Mill in 1894. It consists of a long, narrow,
rectangular two-story brick building measuring five bays (48 feet) in width and twenty-one bays (220 feet) in
length that sits on a foundation of brick piers and is capped by a front-facing open gable roof covered with non-
historic standing-seam metal. The bays are delineated by brick piers running the full height of the building that
support the load-bearing brick walls and allow for the large, regularly spaced fenestration. While a few of the
historic window and door openings are currently infilled with brick (north elevation), the outlines and locations
of these openings are still readily apparent. Six original windows remain and have been restored; these are the
six first-floor transomed windows on the east elevation. The remainder of the windows throughout the building
are constructed of aluminum-clad wood, in a dark green color determined historic through paint analysis. They
closely match the historic versions, which had deteriorated beyond repair, consisting of paired rectangular four-
over-four double-hung sash set into segmentally arched openings with simple wood sills and flush, segmentally
arched brick lintels.
The north face of the factory is the façade, as it faces the North Main Street entrance to the site. It measures two
stories in height and five bays wide and features an open gable roofline. The first floor features full-light
transomed double-doors set into a segmentally arched opening in the center of the elevation flanked by metal
lamps. There are two windows to the right (west) of the double-doors and the outlines of two additional historic
openings are visible to the left (east) of the entrance, though these openings have been infilled with brick. The
second-floor level features five windows, all typical in style apart from the central bay; this window opening
has been partially infilled with brick and features a four-over-four fixed-pane window. This central opening
historically held a set of double-doors. A small oculus opening with a metal louver sits in the center of the open
gable above the second-floor windows. A sign advertises the apartment building utilizing the property, with two
metal lamps above.
The west elevation of the factory is a two-story, twenty-one-bay brick elevation, with the bays delineated by
brick piers. The first floor of the elevation is partially obscured by the powerhouse and has recently been
exposed, as it was historically, with the removal of the central addition. The elevation features original
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unpainted red brick. The majority of the large, segmentally arched openings along both floors feature the typical
replacement windows. However, there is an exposed I-beam above a large five-pane window along with three
transomed doorways on the first floor matching the windows in construction and style. A second I-beam runs
the entire elevation between the first and second floors, installed as part of the 1957 addition construction. Two
brick chimneys protrude from the elevation, one at the center of the building and one at the north end. Both of
these chimneys were reduced in height to align with the roof pitch sometime before 1951 based on historic
photos. Segments of two brick arched openings exist in the foundation to the south, as the grade slopes to the
river, installed to counteract flooding.
The south elevation of the factory is constructed of unpainted red brick and measures two stories in height by
five bays wide with an open gable roofline. The brick masonry is in good condition, after recent mortar repair.
Due to the change in grade at the rear of the complex, where the ground slopes down to Canacadea Creek, the
first-floor level of the south factory elevation is accessed via a non-historic wooden ramp. The ramp leads to a
set of typical transomed double-doors set into a segmentally arched opening in the center of the elevation. To
either side of the entry are two sets of typical windows flanking the central bay on each floor. In the center of
the second floor is a transomed fixed-pane window with a central mullion; originally, this opening featured
double-doors and was later infilled with brick. A small oculus opening with a metal louver sits in the center of
the open gable above the second-floor windows.
The east elevation of the factory faces the former New York & Lake Erie track. It measures two stories in
height by twenty-one bays wide, and is constructed of unpainted red brick. The brick masonry is in good
condition, with recent repairs to failing mortar. The bays are delineated by brick piers and feature large,
regularly spaced, typical segmentally arched windows, apart from a first-floor central set of double-doors and
the six original southern windows that are restored, and feature transoms. Due to the change in grade on the east
side of the mill building, where the ground slopes down toward Canacadea Creek to the south, three arched
brick openings leading into the raised foundation below the mill are visible. Non-historic metal conduit extends
up the full-height of the elevation to the center and north, leading to exterior HVAC units. At the northeast
corner of the elevation, a non-historic metal stair enclosed in a corrugated metal corridor leads from the second
floor of the mill to the sidewalk of the West Main Street overpass, providing pedestrian access from the factory
to downtown Hornell. The overpass was constructed in the 1950s to replace the former West Main Street
viaduct, a steel and concrete structure that crossed over the railroad track below near the northwest corner of the
Rockland Silk Mill.1
1
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Hornell, Steuben County, New York (Sanborn Map Company, 1926).
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Powerhouse (1894)
The powerhouse was also constructed in 1894 as part of the original Rockland Silk Mill and therefore mimics
the architectural characteristics of the factory. The single-story brick powerhouse is interconnected near the
northwest corner of the factory and measures four bays (40 feet) wide and four bays (52 feet) deep. It features
the same large, regularly spaced, segmentally arched fenestration as seen in the factory, with the same simple
wood sills and flush, segmentally arched brick lintels. The powerhouse is capped by an open gable roof covered
in rolled metal.
The north elevation of the powerhouse is stepped back two bays from the north face of the factory and consists
of a single-story, four-bay-wide elevation constructed of unpainted brick. The bays are delineated by brick
piers, and each of the two extreme bays contains a large, segmentally arched window like those in the main
factory building. A large, square brick chimney protrudes from the north elevation between the central two
bays, extending roughly four feet above the roofline. According to Sanborn maps, this brick chimney base was
once surmounted by an iron chimney stack that rose as high as 60 feet.2 Gas meters have been recently added to
the east of the chimney.
The west elevation of the powerhouse consists of a single-story, four-bay brick elevation with an open gable
roofline. There are no brick piers on this elevation. The two central bays feature windows similar to the main
factory building. In the historic openings to the side bays are typical transomed double-doors, with the northern
one flanked by metal lamps. The arched brick lintels of both doorways remain intact. Red metal flashing is
affixed to the roof of this elevation and the chimney.
The removal of the central addition has created a walkway between the powerhouse and western addition and
exposed the southern elevation as it was historically. The four bays on the south elevation of the powerhouse
are separated by brick piers. There is a typical window to the west and two double-doors to the east, along with
a brick infill. This elevation is covered by the section of the roof that remains from the central addition.
Addition (1957) Non-Contributing
There is one addition that exists as a separate building, linked to the former mill and powerhouse by a portion of
the web-trussed roofing system of the demolished central addition. According to building records, two single-
story additions of similar construction were built at different points in 1957. This is supported by historic aerial
photographs, as the additions are not present in the 1955 photograph but do appear in a 1963 aerial photograph.
These two additions, along with a later single-story wood-frame garage tacked on to the west elevation of the
2
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Hornell, Steuben County, New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1898.
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western addition in 1970, were constructed during the tenure of the Marion Rohr Factory; this is after the period
of significance for the Rockland Silk Mill, which ended in 1923 when the building ceased operations in the silk
production industry. As part of the recent rehabilitation, the central addition was removed, apart from a section
of the roof containing four open web joists, flashed to prevent deterioration. The wood-frame garage was also
demolished.
The two additions were constructed to be interconnected with the factory, powerhouse, and each other. The
removal of the central addition has exposed the east elevation of the factory building and south elevation of the
powerhouse, as well as created a courtyard space between the western addition. The western addition measures
60 feet wide and 90 feet long at its shortest (west) side. The rear elevation angles slightly to the northeast at an
approximately 20-degree angle, following the path of the Canacadea Creek to the south. It is utilitarian in
nature, constructed of concrete masonry units with concrete slab foundations and limited fenestration. It features
a flat roof sheathed with ethylene propylene diene monomer membranes.
The concrete masonry units in the north elevation have been painted red to match the red brick of the factory
and powerhouse. A large metal roll-up garage door is located on the east side of the north elevation, while the
west side features a protruding loading dock area that is accessed by a short flight of metal steps; this leads to a
small concrete platform and a plywood-infilled opening covered by a flat canopy that is supported by a single
metal column. The west elevation of the addition consists of a monolithic wall of concrete masonry units that
have been painted white, apart from where the garage once stood; the concrete foundation of the garage still
exists. To the south is a doorway that is infilled with plywood and a concrete masonry unit chimney.
The rear (south) elevation angles to the northwest to follow the path of Canacadea Creek. The white-painted
concrete masonry unit walls have recently been repaired from spalling issues. The fenestration along the south
elevation consists of two louvered metal vents and a window opening with a simple stone sill that has been
infilled with plywood.
The east elevation is painted red. A doorway which has been infilled with unpainted concrete masonry units
capped by a soldier-course lintel and a full-light metal doors opens to the northern end of the courtyard. There is
also red metal flashing along the roof and fasteners for the open web joists which remain.
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INTERIOR
The interiors of the 1894 Rockland Silk Mill factory and powerhouse exhibit characteristics typical of “slow-
burning” mill construction specific to textile mill architecture of the period, including heavy timber framing and
a tin-clad fire door protecting the doorway from the factory to the powerhouse. Additionally, the configuration
of the interior bays created by the structural support system conforms to the standard proportions historically
dictated “by the properties of mill construction and the dimensions of machinery,” and the load-bearing brick
walls supported by brick piers allow for large, regularly spaced windows that flood the interior with natural
light.3
The factory is currently being rehabilitated using the Secretary of Interior’s Standards. In total, twenty-three
apartment units are being created in the ongoing rehabilitation, twenty-one in the factory and two in the
powerhouse, along with parking in the addition. A central corridor, interior walls and loft spaces in the former
attic have been added to divide the building for residential usage. New interior two-panel wood doors were
installed throughout the building, painted red when fronting the corridors and white otherwise. However, many
existing historic features have been retained. This includes an exposed structural system of metal columns
supporting heavy timber beams and trusses. Access between floors is achieved via two historic enclosed wood
stairs at either end (north and south) of the space and a freight elevator shaft sitting near the center of the
factory. The powerhouse is accessible from the factory via a tin-clad fire door set into the northwest corner of
the factory at the first-floor level. The single-story powerhouse also features an exposed structural system of
heavy timber trusses.
Factory (1894)
First Floor:
The exposed structural system consists of heavy timber beams supported by a single row of metal columns
running down the center of the factory. Both the timber beams and support columns are currently painted black.
The perimeter walls remain as exposed brick and have been painted gray. The factory features historic tongue-
and-groove wood flooring laid on a diagonal across the first floor, which has recently been restored.
The first-floor factory ceilings consist of gypsum wall board, installed at the height of the historic wood beams.
Due to the original open floor plan, very few doors exist in the factory. The large historic tin-clad fire door
separating the factory from the powerhouse is set into a segmentally arched opening in the thick masonry wall
at the northwest corner of the factory.
3
Betsy Bradley, The Works: The Industrial Architecture of the United States (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 126.
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Circulation:
Two historic wood stairs remain in the factory providing circulation between the first and second floors; they
are located at the northeast and southeast corners of the space. The northeast stair is an enclosed L-shaped
wood stair running between the first and second floors. The exterior wall of the enclosure is exposed painted
brick, while the interior wall consists of beadboard and a wood handrail. The southeast stair is an enclosed L-
shaped wood stair running between the first and second floors. This stair features wood treads and wood risers.
The exterior wall of the enclosure is painted exposed brick, while the interior wall is beadboard with a
rectangular wood handrail. The only non-historic element is the rubber coating added to the wood treads and
risers.
A historic freight elevator shaft, which once serviced the first and second floors, is located towards the west
wall near the center of the factory. The elevator cab is non-historic, and the shaft has been made smaller to meet
residential needs. However, the shaft’s historic horizontal wood paneling has been reused on the adjacent
corridor wall. In this corridor a batten door was retained from the powerhouse and has been hung on the wall.
Second Floor:
There is a similar floor plan to the first floor, with non-historic corridor and apartment walls constructed of
gypsum wall board. The historic exposed structural system extends to the second floor, where the single row of
exposed metal columns supports heavy timber beams and trusses above, all painted black. Historically the
trusses would likely have been exposed, given the fact that at one time the roof of the Rockland Silk Mill was
fitted with four large clerestory lanterns, whose function would have been to provide additional natural light to
the second-floor interior space.4 The perimeter walls of the space remain as historic exposed brick, painted gray.
Within the apartment units being constructed, lofts are being created, accessed by individual staircases. The
second floor also features historic tongue-and-groove wood flooring laid on a diagonal. It is in fair condition
and has been restored. No historic doors exist.
Powerhouse
The single-story powerhouse has been converted for use as two apartment units and a leasing office. This space
also features exposed heavy timber trusses. Two single metal columns support the trusses near the center of the
space, terminating at the poured concrete floor. Of the four historic openings, two feature new windows and two
have doors. The perimeter walls are constructed of exposed gray-painted brick. Non-historic walls, constructed
of gypsum wall board, create a corridor adjacent to the factory building and divide the powerhouse in half. In
this corridor, three skylights have been added and the tin-clad door retained. The historic dynamo that once
powered the textile mill is no longer in place.
4
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Addition
The western addition features an open floor plan consisting of exposed concrete masonry unit walls, poured
concrete floors, and an exposed steel bar joist ceiling. The space is accessed by two non-historic doors to the
north of the elevation. The loading dock space at the north end of the western addition is constructed of metal
studs and the walls are sheathed in metal. A half-light door leads to the steel slab door accessing the loading
dock platform. While soon to be converted to a parking garage, the addition is currently being used for storage.
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Statement of Significance:
The Rockland Silk Mill is significant under Criterion A in the area of Industry for its association with the silk
manufacturing industry in the city of Hornell during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The
Rockland Silk Company was the first silk production business established in Hornell, and it served as the
impetus for the explosion in silk manufacturing that led to Hornell becoming the second-ranked city for silk
production in the country, earning it the nickname the “City of Silk.”5 Edwin S. Brown brought his Rockland
Silk Company, which specialized in the production of silk yarn, to Hornellsville in 1887 and subsequently built
the Rockland Silk Mill in 1894 to house his growing business. Although the Rockland Silk Company only
occupied the mill from 1894 to 1900, the building continued to house silk manufacturing operations into the
1920s. After the Rockland Silk Company left in 1900, the building changed hands several times. It was next
occupied by the Liberty Silk Company from 1900 to 1906, which changed the focus of production in the
building from silk yarn to broad silks. Steuben Silk took over occupancy in 1907 and continued broad silk
production until 1919, when the building was sold to private silk mill owner D. G. Dery. Dery’s organization
soon declared bankruptcy and was reorganized as Amalgamated Silk in 1923. Silk production at the Rockland
Silk Mill shut down in that same year, ending its association with the silk industry in Hornell. The Rockland
Silk Mill, along with later silk production companies that occupied the building, served as major sources of
employment for the city of Hornell, and the workforce included hundreds of local women and children during
the period of significance. The success of the Rockland Silk Company paved the way for other silk
manufacturers to operate in Hornell. The Great Depression and the World War II ban on raw silk importation,
combined with the introduction of synthetic materials such as nylon, ultimately ended the run of Hornell as the
“City of Silk” by the mid-twentieth century.
The Rockland Silk Mill is also significant under Criterion C in the area of Architecture as a good example of an
industrial loft model designed to house light manufacturing processes. However, the adaptability of this
building form allowed for a wide range of industries to be housed within its walls. The original 1894 factory
and powerhouse of the Rockland Silk Mill exhibited many of these characteristics, including the use of load-
bearing brick masonry walls, large, regularly spaced fenestration to illuminate the interior workspace, and an
open floor plan supported by an exposed structural system of cast-iron columns and heavy timber beams that
delineates large bays designed to house a variety of industrial machinery. Though there have been many
changes to the Rockland Silk Mill over the years, including the removal of outbuildings and the construction of
two additions in 1957 (only one of which survives), the original 1894 factory and powerhouse remain. These
two areas housed the core functions of the silk manufacturing process during the period of significance, and
together they represent a good example of a late-nineteenth century industrial loft that still retains a significant
level of historic integrity.
5
Bero Associates Architects, “Reconnaissance Level survey of Historic Resources, City of Hornell” (Historic Hornell, Inc., 2000).
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The period of significance for the Rockland Silk Mill extends from the initial construction date of 1894 to 1923,
when silk production in the building ceased. After Edwin Brown introduced the silk industry to Hornell in 1887
via his Rockland Silk Company, the manufacturing of silk goods in the town took off. Due partly to its location
at the junction of three lines of the Erie Railroad and partly to the readily available labor force consisting largely
of local women and children, Hornell quickly cemented its place in the silk production industry. The silk
industry dominated Hornell for roughly thirty years, between 1890 and 1920, the peak of which saw six large
silk production factories operating in the area.6 These factories, which included the Rockland Silk Mill,
provided hundreds of jobs to local men, women, and children and combined to make Hornell “the largest silk
manufacturing center in the state of New York and one of the largest in the Union.”
Silk Industry in North America
Silk is a natural fiber obtained from the threads of silkworm cocoons that are processed into silk yarn and
woven into silk fabric. The silk industry was first introduced to North America in 1603 by King James I of
England. Eager to compete with other European silk manufacturers, James I ordered silkworm eggs and
mulberry trees sent to the new colonies.7 The production of silk in the colonies limped along during the early
years but turned around during the 1760s in Mansfield, Connecticut. Here legislation was passed allowing a
bounty to be paid for both planting mulberry trees and for raw silk itself. This incentive spurred the people of
Mansfield to action, and by 1800 three-quarters of the population was raising silkworms.8 By the 1840s,
however, thanks in part to a collapse in the market for certain mulberry trees, along with a mulberry tree blight,
the silk culture in Mansfield began to decline. However, the local silk factories continued operations using
imported raw silk, and the introduction of English machinery to the silk production began to streamline the
process.
Following the decline of the silk industry in Mansfield, Paterson, New Jersey, began to emerge as a new locus
for silk production. Already a city known for its industry, the “immigration of skilled workers and
manufacturers who brought silk machinery from Great Britain to Paterson between 1860 and 1880” allowed the
silk industry to flourish. Paterson would eventually become the largest silk production site in the country. 9 In
1860, 600 workers were employed across six silk companies in Paterson.10 The silk industry grew rapidly, and
6
Collette Cornish, “Time Line History of Hornell, New York.”
https://irp cdn.multiscreensite.com/7937b567/files/uploaded/City-time%20line%20history%20of%20Hornell%202019.pdf
7
“Silk Culture and Manufacture,” Dictionary of American History (Encyclopedia.com, February 8, 2021)
https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/silk-culture-and-manufacture.
8
David Landry, “History of Silk Production,” Industries of Mansfield (Mansfield Historical Society, May 6, 2013)
http://www.mansfieldct-history.org/history-of-silk-production/.
9
10
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by the turn of the twentieth century, “one-third of the city’s total workforce of 73,000 was employed in the silk
business.”11 In 1910, one-fifteenth of Paterson’s population of 125,000 worked in 350 large plants, producing a
third of the silk manufactured in the country and earning Paterson the title of “Silk City.”12
During the first half of the nineteenth century, the process of converting imported raw silk into cloth required
highly skilled workers involved at all stages of the process. However, while expert weavers continued to be
required for later stages of silk production (until the process was fully mechanized in the early twentieth
century), as improvements in textile machinery were developed, it became possible for the throwing, or
spinning, process to be learned quickly by unskilled laborers. As a result, the technical advances of the 1880s
brought “increased efficiency and reduced production costs, [so that] throwing and silk twist manufacturing
bore little resemblance to that of a few years before…‘One operative will spin more silk and do it much better
than 2000 could half a century ago; the room occupied would only about one-four-hundredth part as much, and
the machinery about one-twentieth.’ ”13
Due to the growing prominence of Paterson in the silk industry, hundreds of skilled laborers immigrated to the
city in search of work, with the expectation that they be paid accordingly for their skill. With the improvements
in machinery during the late nineteenth century, those with interests in the Paterson silk industry soon began
looking to expand to new locations. “In other places…throwsters can be obtained for much less than they are
paid in Paterson. Several other large Paterson silk manufacturers are negotiating for mill sites elsewhere.”14
Locations with easy access to railroad lines and with a local cheap labor force, particularly women and children,
were considered ideal sites for silk throwing mills. Financing was readily available and silk throwing mills were
spread throughout the northeast United States, with a particular concentration in Pennsylvania and New York.
The silk industry is sub-divided into two types of production: the manufacture of silk yarn and the manufacture
of silk fabrics. Silk yarn was produced in “throwing” mills. The process of throwing silk involved twisting
individual threads from skeins of raw silk onto bobbins, resulting in a single strand strong enough for weaving.
Throwing can produce four kinds of silk yarn, including thrown singles, tram, crepe, and organzine.15 The
workers in a throwing mill were often young girls, who supplied new skeins and bobbins to the spindles of the
throwing machine and tied in breaks when the silk threads ran out.16 Silk yarn production was calculated by the
number of spindles and woven silk by the number of looms. Silk cloth could then be woven on looms using a
variety of silk yarns, resulting in silk broadcloth.
11
“Silk Culture and Manufacture,” Dictionary of American History (Encyclopedia.com, February 8, 2021).
12
“Paterson: History,” The Northeast, City-Data, http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-Northeast/Paterson-History.html.
13
Jaqueline Field, Marjorie Senechal and Madelyn Shaw, American Silk 1830–1930 (Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech University Press,
2007), 113.
14
“Hawley and the Silk Mills,” Port Jervis Evening Gazette, March 16, 1880.
15
“Silk Making & Silk Production.” https://texeresilk.com/article/silk_making_how_to_make_silk.
16
Grace Hutchins, Labor and Silk (New York: International Publishers, 1929), 180.
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The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries represented the peak of the silk industry in North America,
with Hornell being ranked second in the nation for silk production behind only Paterson. 17 The import of raw
silk in the United States in 1900 amounted to over eleven million pounds.18 Silk continued to be in high demand
during the 1910s and 1920s, and the industry was lucrative. However, silk production declined during the 1930s
as the sale of luxury goods suffered due to the effects of the Great Depression. The advent of World War II
interrupted the importation of raw silk, and what domestic silk production did occur was earmarked for war
efforts. These factors, combined with the introduction of new synthetic materials such as nylon and rayon, both
lower-cost alternatives to silk, brought an end to much of the silk production in the country, including in
Hornell, by the mid-twentieth century.
Brief History of Hornell
Hornell is located in Steuben County in the Southern Tier of New York State. Nestled in the Canisteo Valley,
Hornell sits to the west of the Canisteo River and is threaded by Canacadea Creek to the north and Crosby
Creek to the south. The forested hills of the Canacadea State Forest sit to the northwest of the city. The
settlement then known as Upper Canisteo was first established in 1790. Incorporated as the town of
Hornellsville in 1820 and subsequently chartered as the city of Hornellsville in 1888, the name was altered to
Hornell in 1906, as “it was argued that no great city in the nation had a name which ended with ‘ville.’ ”19 The
first half of the nineteenth century was uneventful for the small town, which had a population of just 125 in
1826.20 The primary industries consisted of lumber, fur, and agriculture. However, the arrival of the Erie
Railroad in the mid-nineteenth century changed the future of Hornellsville. By the 1830s land in Hornellsville
was being surveyed in consideration of construction of the Erie Railroad, and construction of the railroad lines
began in 1841. A population of 300 is recorded in 1843. Just seven years later, in 1850, when the first Erie
locomotive arrived at Hornellsville, the population had more than doubled to 700 people.21 By 1851, when the
first Erie passenger train made the trek to Hornellsville, the population had exploded to 1,841 people. Due to its
location on the prominent New York & Lake Erie Railroad line, at 483 miles in length the longest railroad in
the world at the time, Hornellsville was a prime location for the industrial growth that soon followed. The
Hornell Downtown Historic District Resource Evaluation discusses the growth and decline of the local
economy, tied into the railroad. “Silk mills, boot and shoe factories, lumber milling and furniture manufacturing
were other major industries that added to Hornell's growth and prosperity in the late nineteenth century but the
17
18
Franklin Allen, “1900 Census: Volume IX. Manufactures, Part 3. Special Reports on Selected Industries,” United States Census
Bureau Vol. IX (1902): 199-233. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1902/dec/vol-09-manufactures.html
19
Bero Associates Architects, “Reconnaissance Level survey of Historic Resources, City of Hornell.”
20
21
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railroad had the largest impact.”22 Business began declining in the early twentieth century, but the silk industry
remained prominent, “By the turn of the twentieth century, Hornell's rapid growth began to slow down, but the
economy remained stable. The Erie Railroad and the city's four silk mills continued to employ a large
workforce, along with other minor industries such as brewing and the manufacturing of postal equipment.”23
However, as the railroad declined, so did the city’s economy, “The Erie Railroad merged with the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western Railroad in 1960, and in the following decade, passenger service ended, freight
business declined and the railroad went into bankruptcy.”24 By the mid-twentieth century, the once-thriving
local economy had died down and the construction of a highway to bisect the city began to be discussed. “With
the gradual decline of the railroad, Hornell entered into a long period of economic stagnation and population
loss.”25 In 1972 a north-south highway was built in the hopes of spurring economic development; in the process,
hundreds of homes and several commercial buildings were demolished. 26
History of the Rockland Silk Mill
It was in this burgeoning industrial environment that Edwin S. Brown established his Rockland Silk Company
in 1887. 27 Brown originally hailed from the “Silk City” of Paterson, New Jersey, and he is credited with being
the first person to introduce silk production to Hornellsville. Due to its location on the newly constructed New
York & Lake Erie Railroad and the associated population boom, Hornellsville seemed to be a prime location for
Brown to expand his interests in the silk industry.
Edwin S. Brown came to Hornellsville in 1887 with the intent of introducing the silk industry to the rapidly
expanding town. The established New York & Lake Erie Railroad provided easy access and transport of goods,
and the growing population meant an abundance of available labor. By 1888, the same year Hornellsville was
incorporated, Brown had his Rockland Silk Company in production.28 The Rockland Silk Mill focused on the
‘throwing,’ of silk, which was the first of two stages in the silk manufacturing process. Throwing involved the
spinning, or twisting, of skeins of raw silk fibers into a variety of silk yarns, which were then wound onto
bobbins in preparation for the second phase of silk manufacturing, which involved the weaving of silk yarns
into finished silk good products such as broad silks.
22
James Finelli, Resource Evaluation, Hornell Downtown Historic District, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic
Preservation, 2016.
23
Finelli, Resource Evaluation, 2016.
24
25
26
27
Gazetteer of Steuben County, New York, Hornell Public Library Vertical Files, 1891.
28
Gazetteer of Steuben County, New York, “Industries,” 1891, 401.
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The 1893 Sanborn Map indicates the Rockland Silk Mills occupied the second and third floors of an industrial
complex just to the north of the current Rockland Silk Mill site, where the Department of Transportation
complex currently sits.29 The second and third floors housed spinning and winding activities, respectively. The
first floor of the industrial complex was occupied by Hornell Iron Works. A two-story wood-frame building was
located just to the south of the industrial complex across a rail siding. While the first floor of this building
housed storage and painting areas, the second floor was also dedicated to silk winding and was connected to the
main factory via a bridge that spanned a rail siding running between the buildings. A freestanding, single-story
brick silk vault existed near the southwest corner of the wood-frame silk winding building, and a freestanding,
single-story brick office housing another vault sat near the northeast corner. The 1893 Sanborn Map indicates
the Rockland Silk Mills was employing ninety hands at that time.
By 1894, Brown had acquired the triangular parcel of land located just to the south of the industrial complex
that his company had occupied in 1893, and construction began on the current Rockland Silk Mill. According to
a New York State Inspection Report from 1895, the Rockland Silk Mills was employing 179 hands, consisting
of twenty adult males, fifteen males under the age of eighteen, twelve males under the age of sixteen, sixty adult
females, fifty females under the age of twenty-one, and twenty-two females under the age of sixteen.30 The
1898 Sanborn Map shows that the new building, labeled Rockland Silk Mills, Silk Throwsters, replaced the
two-story wood-frame silk winding building and brick silk vault seen on the 1893 Sanborn Map, though the
previously existing single-story brick office was retained and incorporated into the building footprint at the
northeast corner of the new factory.31
The 1898 Rockland Silk Mill comprised the current two-story, rectangular brick factory with a gabled roof and
the current single-story brick powerhouse with a gabled roof. A note indicates the powerhouse possessed an
iron chimney measuring sixty feet in height. A narrow, single-story, wood-frame engine room was constructed
against the southern end of the powerhouse to house the dynamo or generator. A short track led from the engine
room to a freestanding two-story, wood-frame building just southwest of the powerhouse that housed the A. C.
Harman Machine Shop, which received heat and power from the Rockland Silk Mill. A single-story wood-
frame coal bin sat just to the west of the powerhouse next to the rail siding. A single-story, wood-framed silk
house, designed to house raw silk deliveries or finished goods awaiting shipment, was constructed against the
west side of the previously existing office building. In 1898 the Rockland Silk Mill operated 10,000 spindles,
with the first floor dedicated to spinning and the second floor dedicated to winding and employed 140 hands.
The building featured hot air heating and electric lighting.
29
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Hornell, Steuben County, New York (Sanborn Map Company, 1888-1893).
30
James Connolly, Ninth Annual Report of the Factory Inspectors of the State of New York (Albany: James B. Lyon, State Printer),
1895.
31
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Brown spent over a decade in Hornell developing the Rockland Silk Company, but there is little record of his
time there aside from his involvement in the silk industry. The 1890 city directory lists him as “prop. silk
factory” and shows he boarded at the Page house on Main Street, while the 1891 directory has him listed as
“prop. Rockland Silk Mills” and records that he resided in Seneca. No residence is listed for Brown in the 1893
directory.32 In 1900, Brown decided to return to Paterson, New Jersey. Though his departure resulted in the
shut-down of the Rockland Silk Company, Brown had successfully introduced the silk manufacturing business
to Hornell, and the Rockland Silk Mill would continue to house various silk production operations for another
twenty-three years. Hornell’s silk industry continued to grow rapidly, so that by 1915 six large silk mills were
operating in the city, one of which was the original Rockland Silk Mill building, by then owned and operated by
the Steuben Silk Company. Together these six mills produced such a quantity of silk goods that Hornell was
ranked second in the nation for silk manufacturing.33 Hornell was behind only the original “Silk City” of
Paterson, New Jersey, earning Hornell its own moniker as the “City of Silk.”34
Following Brown’s return to Paterson, the Rockland Silk Mill was acquired by the Liberty Silk Company,
which operated out of the building between 1900 and 1906. Liberty Silk changed the focus of the Rockland Silk
Mill to the production of broad silks, which was the second stage of the silk manufacturing process. This
practice involved the use of looms to weave various types of silk yarns, such as those produced by silk
‘throwers’ like the Rockland Silk Company, into finished fabrics. The 1904 Sanborn Map showed that the
Rockland Silk Mill was then occupied by the Liberty Silk Company, and both floors of the factory were
dedicated to the weaving process. A small addition had been added to the previous wood-frame engine room
and the dynamo relocated to the powerhouse. The new engine room addition extended to connect with the two-
story building that previously held the A. C. Harman Machine Shop. The first and second floors of the former
machine shop were also dedicated to weaving, with fire extinguishers located on each floor. 35 The powerhouse,
brick office, and wood-framed silk house remained largely unaltered when compared to the 1898 Sanborn Map,
although the height of the iron chimney connected to the powerhouse was recorded as 86 feet in height rather
than 60 feet. However, the small coal bin along the rail siding at the southwest corner of the site had been
significantly enlarged by 1904, suggesting that the scale of production was increasing. A single-story
passageway had also been added to connect the northeast corner of the coal bin to the northwest corner of the
powerhouse.
The Liberty Silk Company ceased operations in 1906, and the Rockland Silk Mill briefly sat idle until it was
purchased by the Steuben Silk Company in 1907.36 Like Liberty Silk before them, Steuben Silk was involved in
32
Hornell City Directories, 1890, 1891, 1893.
33
34
Bero Associates Architects, “Reconnaissance Level survey of Historic Resources, City of Hornell.”
35
36
“Hornell Silk Mill In Operation,” The Friendship (NY) Register, April 25, 1907.
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the production of silk broadcloth, and the company continued to operate out of the Rockland Silk Mill until
1919. This twelve-year run makes the Steuben Silk Company the tenant with the longest occupation of the
building within the period of significance.
The 1909 Sanborn Map indicated that the Rockland Silk Mill was then occupied by Steuben Silk. The first floor
of the factory housed winding and weaving processes, while the second floor was dedicated to weaving alone.
The powerhouse, brick office, wood-framed silk house, and coal bin remained largely unaltered in comparison
to the 1904 Sanborn Map, though the listed height of the powerhouse chimney had changed again, down to 55
feet instead of the previously stated 86 feet The small addition that connected the powerhouse to the two-story
wood-framed building had been labeled as a repair shop. The two-story wood-framed building was being
utilized for storage rather than weaving, and a new narrow, two-story walkway had been constructed to connect
the storage building to the factory.
The 1915 Sanborn Map labeled the Rockland Silk Mill as “Steuben Silk Mills, M’f’rs of Broad Silks.” The first
floor of the factory was at that time being used for winding and warping, while the second floor remained
dedicated to weaving. It appears the most significant alteration to the building in comparison with the 1909
Sanborn Map occurred at the factory, where four large, 5-foot square clerestory lanterns were installed along the
ridge of the gable roof. The clerestory lanterns, though not indicated on Sanborn Maps before 1915, are evident
in an undated photograph (see Section 11: Photo Log) showing the east elevation of the factory and former
brick office during its occupation by the Steuben Silk Company, which places the date of the image sometime
between 1907 and 1919. As the clerestory lanterns continue to appear on the two subsequent Sanborn maps, it
seems likely they were added to the Rockland Silk Mill sometime between 1907 and 1914. The lanterns, which
were “formed by raising the roof on both sides of the ridge to allow for the insertion of a range of windows,”
would have improved the penetration of natural light into the second-floor space and also improved ventilation
within the building. 37 The brick office, powerhouse, repair shop, and two-story wood-framed storage building
remain unchanged from the 1909 Sanborn map, although the powerhouse chimney notation changed again,
noting a brick base of 14 feet topped by an iron chimney an additional 21 feet in height. The silk house to the
west of the office was relabeled as storage, and two new single-story additions were added to the coal shed. The
rail siding running along the northwest edge of the site was removed.
The Steuben Silk Company occupied the Rockland Silk Mill until 1919, when the building was sold to D.
George Dery, the largest individual silk manufacturer in the country.38 The D. G. Dery Corporation had been
buying up silk mills around the region, and the Rockland Silk Mill was one of many purchased by Dery during
the late 1910s and early 1920s. However, Dery was an unscrupulous businessman and in 1923 charges were
37
Bradley, 184.
38
“Steuben Silk Mills to George Dery,” Corning Evening Leader (Corning, NY), October 30, 1919.
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brought against him for forgery and fraud.39 Before declaring bankruptcy, the D. G. Dery Corporation
reorganized as the Amalgamated Silk Corporation.40 Amalgamated Silk “became one of the largest silk
companies in the United States, with mills at Binghamton and Hornell, New York…Pennsylvania…and
Virginia…with its own dyeing and finishing company at Allentown. It [was] in a position to carry through
broad silk manufacture from raw material to distribution in salesrooms on Fifth Avenue, New York City.”41
Amalgamated Silk ultimately chose to focus on the production of goods for sale in New York City and as a
result, the decision was made to close down any mills located outside the sphere of distribution, which extended
to the City of Hornell. When Amalgamated Silk shut down operations in the Rockland Silk Mill in 1923 it
marked the end of a successful thirty-year run in the silk manufacturing industry. The building sat vacant for
seven years, though the owner of a Paterson textile mill purchased the looms and other factory equipment in
1925.42 Amalgamated Silk eventually sold the Rockland Silk Mill building in 1930 to the Nelke Sign
Company.43
Silk Industry in Hornell
While Edwin Brown is credited as being the first to introduce silk manufacturing to Hornell with the
establishment of his Rockland Silk Company in 1887, several other silk manufacturers soon followed suit. At
the peak of the silk industry during the mid-1910s, six silk mills were operating in Hornell. These were the
Merrill Silk Company, the Merrill Hosiery Company, Julius Kayser & Company, the Huguet Silk Company, the
Steuben Silk Company (which occupied the Rockland Silk Mill), and the DeWitt-Boag Silk Company, whose
combined operations earned Hornell its rank of second in the nation for silk production.
One of the first major figures to emerge on the scene was Frederick P. Merrill, who would eventually come to
have either direct involvement with, or at least an influence on, each of the six silk mills in Hornell. In 1890,
Merrill partnered with brothers L. W. and J. L. Rockwell to form the firm of Rockwell, Merrill & Rockwell.
The firm founded the Merrill Fabric Glove Company, and during the winter of 1890-1891 a new building was
constructed at the corner of East Avenue and Hart Street to house operations.44 The Merrill Fabric Glove
Company employed around 100 men in the production of silk gloves and mitts and was considered one of the
leading industries at the time.45
39
“Petitions Filed Against D. George Dery Silks,” New York Times, April 1, 1923.
40
“D. G. Dery Corp. Reorganizes,” Portville (NY)Review, August 12, 1923.
41
Grace Hutchins, Labor and Silk, 48.
42
“Paterson Concern Buys Machinery in Dery Plant,” Hornell (NY) Evening Tribune, January 10, 1925.
43
“Hornell Plant Sold,” Bath (NY) Advocate, May 1, 1929.
44
Millard F. Roberts ed., Directory of Steuben County, New York,1891, Part Second (Syracuse, NY: Press of John Single Paper
Company, 1891).
45
Hon. Harlo Hakes, ed., Landmarks of Steuben County: History the City of Hornellsville, NY (Syracuse, NY: D. Mason & Company,
Publishers, 1896), 300.
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After ten years with the Merrill Fabric Glove Company, Merrill withdrew his interest from Rockwell, Merrill &
Rockwell and forged out on his own. The Merrill Silk Company was formed in 1900 and construction of the
Merrill Silk Mill complex, located on Canisteo Street in Hornell, began that same year. The Merrill Silk Mill
opened on September 29, 1902, and production focused on the manufacturing of silk and sueded fabric gloves.46
By 1907 Merrill’s involvement with the silk industry afforded him enough wealth that he was able to
commission a new residence designed by the famed architectural firm Pierce and Bickford of Elmira.47
Trade journals from 1909 indicate that Frederick Merrill continued to expand his silk business in Hornell. One
noted with interest that the Merrill Silk Mill had started turning out broad silks in addition to gloves.48 The same
journal also reported that “a company [had] been newly organized for the manufacture of silk hosiery at
Hornell, N.Y.”49 The new arrival was the Merrill Hosiery Company, which allowed F. P. Merrill to diversify his
interests in the silk manufacturing industry. Plans for a new building to house the Merrill Hosiery Company,
which would be located on Bank Street, describe “a one-story mill of brick construction which will measure 80
x 20 feet, demanding an outlay of $50,000.”50 Machinery was soon purchased for the new mill, which was to
“begin operations with 100 hands.”51 The Merrill Hosiery Company recorded sales of 60,000 dozen pairs of silk
stockings in 1915.52
The Merrill Silk Company and Merrill Hosiery Company continued to prosper in Hornell, and Frederick Merrill
was a well-known and influential figure in the local silk industry. At the time of his death in 1920 it was stated
that the Merrill Silk Company “was one of the best-known manufacturers in its line in the country…[and] the
Merrill Hosiery Co…[had] a well earned [sic] reputation for the excellence of its product.” 53 Early on in his
career, Merrill traveled to Europe to purchase looms for his mills, likely influencing the silk manufacturing
technology utilized in the area. His expertise was so great “that practically every silk manufacturer in Hornell
received training under him, including Benjamin C. DeWitt, of the DeWitt, Boag Co.”54 Due to his success and
prominence in the local silk industry, Fredrick P. Merrill was considered “one of the most esteemed citizens of
Hornell.”55
46
“Merrill Silk Mill Complex,” Historic American Engineering Record NY-126, (1968), https://tile.loc.gov/storage-
services/master/pnp/habshaer/ny/ny1100/ny1130/data/ny1130data.pdf; “Frederick P. Merrill,” The (Gloversville NY) Glovers
Review, January 1921, 57.
47
Kirk W. House, Images of America: Around Hornell (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2009), 35.
48
“Clatter of the Loom,” Silk 2, no. 9 (1909): 82.
49
“Clatter of the Loom,” Silk2, no. 9 (1909): 41.
50
“Clatter of the Loom,” Silk 2, no. 9 (1909): 57.
51
“Clatter of the Loom,” Silk2, no. 9 (1909): 41.
52
American Wool and Cotton Reporter: For the Combined Textile Industries 29, No. 26 (Boston: Bennet & Co., 1915).
53
“Obituary: Frederick P. Merrill,” Silk, no. 14 (1921): 78
54
“Obituary: Frederick P. Merrill,” Silk, no. 14 (1921): 78
55
“Obituary: Frederick P. Merrill,” Silk, no. 14 (1921): 78.
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The Merrill Silk Mill was not the only manufacturer of silk gloves in Hornell and it faced local competition in
the form of Julius Kayser & Company. Two years after Frederick Merrill dissolved the partnership of Rockwell,
Merrill & Rockwell to focus on his own silk glove company, the Rockwell brothers joined forces with Julius
Kayser.56 Kayser first established his silk glove company in New York City in 1880, but by 1902 he had
relocated his operation to Hornell and moved production into the former Merrill Fabric Glove Company
building. Although advertisements from 1908 also mention black silk stockings, Julius Kayser & Company was
known for its “famous” silk gloves. The company “designed and manufactured the delicate gloves that women
wore to dinner, parties, the opera, and other social events.”57 The gloves were designed with innovative
invisible reinforced fingertips, a detail invented and patented by Kayser.58 This construction meant that Kayser
gloves would outlast most other brands, and the money-back guarantee ensured “the company soon grew well
beyond the confines of the Hornell factory.”59
Julius Kayser & Co. was incorporated in June 1911, at which point the company employed around 6,000
workers across eight facilities located throughout New York State and extending into Germany. The largest of
these factories was in Brooklyn, which housed roughly a third of all Julius Kayser’s employees at the time and
was responsible for the supply of all the silk used by the other factories.60 Other factory locations included
Amsterdam, Sidney, Owego, Port Jervis, and Monticello, New York, in addition to the original factory located
in Hornell, which was being utilized as “a finishing plant for silk gloves.”61 A list of production equipment
located in the United States at the time of incorporation included “30 lamb knitting machines, 120 spring-needle
machines, and 1,500 sewing machines.”62 Total annual sales for Julius Kayser & Company in 1911 was
recorded at around $8 million, and international advertisements could be found in “Canada, France, England,
Germany, Italy, and South America.”63
Julius Kayser & Company continued to achieve great success with the production of silk gloves. By 1916 the
company was operating thirteen plants in addition to the original factory in Hornell. Upon the death of founder
Julius Kayser in 1920, the company was “said to be the largest manufacturers of silk gloves in the world.”64
Julius Kayser & Company continued to thrive throughout the twentieth century, though the original Hornell
56
Irvin W. Near, A History of Steuben County, New York, and its People, 681.
57
Suzanne Spellen, “Past and Present: The Julius Kayser Company, Clinton Hill,” Brownstoner,
https://www.brownstoner.com/history/past-and-present-the-julius-kayser-company-clinton-hill/.
58
Suzanne Spellen, “Past and Present: The Julius Kayser Company, Clinton Hill.”
59
60
United States Investor 22, no. 26 (July 1, 1911): 1843.
61
62
63
64
“New York – Julius Kayser, Pioneer Glove and Underwear Manufacturer, Dies,” The Corset and Underwear Review (April 1920):
85.
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factory, which had “confined its activity…strictly to the making of silk and cotton gloves,” ultimately closed its
doors in May of 1927. 65
Another prime player in the Hornell silk industry was the Huguet Silk Company. Huguet Silk initially began in
1899 as a partnership between Frederick P. Merrill and French silk manufacturer Peter Huguet, who met in
Europe while Merrill was abroad purchasing looms for his company. The original organization was called the
Merrill-Field Company, and the two men constructed a textile mill on Thacher Street in 1901 to house the
production of silk chiffon. After the Merrill Silk Mill opened in 1902, Huguet took over control of the business
and renamed it the Huguet Silk Company.
Huguet Silk focused on the production of fine silk textiles such as georgette, chiffon, and crepes. It has been
claimed that the first piece of silk chiffon ever woven in North America was produced at the Huguet Silk
Company factory in Hornell in 1901.66 The first decade of the twentieth century was a success for Huguet Silk,
and by 1909 plans were made to erect a large addition to the existing factory in Hornell.67 By 1910 the addition
was completed, effectively doubling the production capacity, and the company apparently needed every bit of
the increase to meet the demand for their product. A trade journal dating to 1915 notes that “the Huguet Silk Co.
of Hornell, N.Y., has been running its warping, winding and weaving departments at night during the past
month to handle new orders on hand. The Hornell plant has been running continuously without shutdown for
the last four years.”68 By 1924 the Huguet Silk Company had expanded to include two throwing mills, one in
Canisteo and one in Nunda, along with a weaving facility in Wayland, New York. The company continued to
own and operate these sites through the end of World War II. In 1945, Huguet Silk sold its mills to Stern and
Stern, which had been distributors of Huguet Silk products for forty-five years.69
The Steuben Silk Company was incorporated in 1899 by Milo W. Waldorf. Waldorf’s experience in the silk
industry began at the age of sixteen when he started working under Frederick P. Merrill at the Merrill Fabric
Glove Company, where Waldorf worked his way up to superintendent. After nine years with Merrill, Waldorf
broke away to pursue his own interests. The Steuben Silk Company started in 1899 as a silk taffeta mill at the
corner of Thacher Street and Main Street in Hornell.70 The acquisition of the Rockland Silk Mill building in
1907 allowed Steuben Silk to double its production.71 Waldorf installed Charles A. Kromer as superintendent of
the Steuben Silk Company in the early 1910s, and in 1914 Waldorf relocated to Dunkirk, New York, to run one
65
“Julius Kayser & Co., to Close its Plant Here on May 1st,” Hornell Evening Tribune (Hornell, NY), 1927.
66
John S. and Sue Babbitt, Postcard History Series: Steuben County (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2010)
67
“Clatter of the Looms,” Silk 3, no. 1 (1909): 80.
68
“Trade Notes,” American Silk Journal (January 1915): 65.
69
“Huguet Silk Interests in Canisteo, Wayland, Hornell Sold to Importing Firm,” Canisteo Times (Canisteo, NY) Nov. 1, 1945, 4.
70
“New Corporation,” New York Times (New York, NY), July 7, 1899, 2.
71
“Hornell Silk Mill in Operation,” Friendship Register (Friendship, NY), April 25, 1907.
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of the leading silk mills in that area.72 Kromer continued to oversee silk production operations within the
Rockland Silk Mill for over a decade, continuing in that capacity even after Steuben Silk sold the Rockland Silk
Mill to D. G. Dery.
Once Steuben Silk took over possession of the Rockland Silk Mill, the labor force required to double production
had to be procured. It was expected that 100 looms would shortly be up and running, with 200 hands required to
run the mill. When asked whether he thought there would be any “difficulty in procuring sufficient help Mr.
Waldorf said, ‘We have been given assurances that we will have no trouble in securing all the help necessary to
run the mill. Applications for positions are being received at our office every day.’”73
During its occupancy of the Rockland Silk Mill, the Steuben Silk Company invested heavily in the equipment
and technology required to produces its broad silks. When Waldorf purchased the Rockland Silk Mill in 1907
the building was “equipped with a modern steam engine, of a powerful type,” which was connected to several
of the looms to furnish them with power. 74 However, in the interest of efficiency, Steuben Silk decided “to
install the largest gas engine ever brought to [Hornell], to be used to furnish power for running the hundred or
more looms.”75 The steam engine was to be retained and reserved for emergencies.
By 1914, an additional thirty new looms, designed to weave a wider breadth of silk than the machines currently
in use, were purchased by the Steuben Silk Company and installed in the Rockland Silk Mill. The new looms
were “of domestic manufacture and embrace[d] all the latest improvements and appliances for the scientific
weaving of such delicate fabrics,” and it was said that Steuben Silk was considering equipping the entire mill
with the new machines. 76 As 1914 had “been one of the more prosperous [years] in the annals of the mill,” it
was an expense the company could certainly afford. 77
The last of the six silk mills in Hornell was established slightly later than its predecessors. The DeWitt-Boag
Company was founded on November 7, 1906, by Benjamin Carpenter DeWitt and David C. Boag. DeWitt and
Boag were both experienced in the Hornell silk industry, with DeWitt serving a nine-year apprenticeship under
Frederick P. Merrill at both the Huguet Silk Company and the Merrill Silk Company. A new mill was erected
on Allen Street near the Erie railroad tracks, and while the fledgling company was “starting in on a rather
modest scale” with the expected employment of twenty-five hands, “[there was] every opportunity for a healthy
expansion.”78 DeWitt-Boag focused on the production of silk veiling and featured machines of “the latest
72
“Going to Dunkirk,” Elmira Star-Gazette (Elmira, NY), June 29, 1914.
73
“Silk Mill to Open by First of June,” Hornell (NY)Evening Tribune, April 8, 1907, 2.
74
“Silk Mill to Open by First of June,” Hornell Evening Tribune.
75
“Silk Mill to Open by First of June,” Hornell Evening Tribune.
76
Hornell Evening Tribune, 1914.
77
Hornell Evening Tribune, 1914.
78
“Machines Started,” Hornell Evening Tribune, 1906.
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improved type.”79 Over the next decade, the company expanded significantly to include 137 looms on which
silk gauze fabrics, sewing silk, veiling, chiffon, and scarves were produced. A new addition to the Allen Street
mill was constructed in 1916 to accommodate the increased production, which would “enable the company to
do its own finishing.”80 An additional forty wide looms had been added to the factory by 1920.
With the establishment of his Rockland Silk Company in 1887, Edwin Brown introduced an industry that would
dominate the city of Hornell for the next several decades. Though the Rockland Silk Company vacated the
building before the silk industry in Hornell hit its peak, the Rockland Silk Mill would continue to house silk
manufacturing activities for over two more decades. The longest tenant during the period of significance was
the Steuben Silk Company, which occupied the building from 1907 to 1919. An annual report from the State of
New York in 1909 listed the Steuben Silk Company among the principal manufacturing establishments in the
city of Hornell, along with three other silk manufacturers, Merrill Silk, J. Kayser & Co., and Huguet Silk.81
By the early 1910s, all six major silk mills in operation during the peak of the silk industry in Hornell were
established and running. However, to keep up with the quantity of production the factories required adequate
labor forces. While improvements in machinery meant that not all labor necessitated skilled workers, a certain
number of hands were necessary to ensure the looms and other machinery were running properly. As such, the
silk industry was a significant source of employment for the citizens of Hornell, particularly the women,
hundreds of whom were employed at the various factories during the peak years of silk production. A 1912 New
York State Register of Factories lists details for each of the six silk mills operating in Hornell at that time,
Location Production Men Women Children Office Total
Type (14-16)
Dewitt-Boag Allen Street Silk Chiffon 14 14 0 1 29
Huguet Silk Co. Thacher Street Silk Chiffon 95 25 0 2 122
Julius Kayser Hart Street & Silk Gloves 10 200 3 1 214
East Avenue
Merrill Hosiery Bank Street Silk Hosiery 131 131 - 3 265
Merrill Silk Co. Canisteo & Silk Gloves 159 406 - 7 572
Pleasant Streets
Steuben Silk Co. Main Street Broad Silk 29 43 2 - 74
82
79
“Machines Started,” Hornell Evening Tribune, 1906.
80
“Mill Notes,” American Wool and Cotton Reporter 30, no. 1 (January 6, 1916): 240.
81
Thirtieth Annual Report of the State Department of Health of New York for the Year Ending December 31, 1909, vol. II (Albany,
NY: J.B. Lyon Company, Printers, 1910) 750.
82
John Williams, ed., First Annual Industrial Directory of New York State: 1912 (Albany, NY: State Department of Labor, 1913),
460.
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A similar report from 1915 detailed the capital, production type, and machinery employed by these same
mills:83
Capital Silk Production Type Machines Hands

Dewitt-Boag $10,000 Veiling, netting, chiffon 130 narrow looms 75
Huguet Silk Co. $120,000 Veiling, netting, chiffon, 300 broad looms 275
mousselines
Julius Kayser - Mitts & gloves - -
Merrill Hosiery $500,000 Hosiery 60 knitting / 50 sewing -
Merrill Silk Co. $300,000 Gloves, lining, underwear 40 knitting / 900 sewing 1000
Steuben Silk Co. $100,000 Broad tie & lining silks 150 broad looms 150
84
These six silk mills contributed to make Hornell a thriving industrial city during the first few decades of the
twentieth century. The impact of the silk industry on the city was evident due to a series of public displays put
on to celebrate the various manufacturers and their products. The Hornell Chamber of Commerce organized an
exhibition of industrial display at an annual fair in 1916. All six silk manufacturing companies took part,
arranging examples of their silk goods together in a booth that was anticipated to “be one of the most attractive
displays in the building.”85
A complete list of all Hornell silk manufacturers known to exist has been compiled by the city historian:
1. DeWitt-Boag Mill DeWitt-Boag Company
2. Dolores Dress Company Inc
3. Geary Silk Mill
4. Glove Factory *
5. Hickey Freeman Firm
6. Hornell Underwear Company*
7. Huguet Silk Mill
8. Julius Kayser & Co
9. Kayser Glove Mill
10. Liberty Silk Co
11. Lite-Kote Division of Stern & Stern Textiles
12. Merrill Glove Co*
13. Merrill Hosiery Co
83
American Wool and Cotton Reporter: For the Combined Textile Industries 29, No. 26.
84
American Wool and Cotton Reporter: For the Combined Textile Industries 29, No. 26.
85
“Manufacturers Arrange Show,” Hornell (NY) Evening Tribune, August 18, 1916, 6.
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14. Merrill Silk Co

15. Merrill Silk Mill *
16. Rockland Silk Mills
17. Stern & Stern Textiles Inc Huguet Fabrics Division
18. Steuben Silk Mill
19. Stern & Stern Industries Inc
*It is believed that when publications referred to a silk mill, the name of the silk mill may have been
misrepresented. The example of “Merrill Silk Co” vs “Merrill Silk Mill,” it is the Merrill Silk Company
but referred to by locals as the Merrill Silk Mill. Or perhaps a change in management and the name of
the company was slightly altered.86
A second similar exhibition took place in 1924. By that time, the Steuben Silk Company had vacated the
Rockland Silk Mill and the building was sitting empty after Amalgamated Silk shut down in 1923. However,
the five remaining silk manufacturers were still in operation and an advertisement for an industrial display
showcasing local products produced in Hornell listed the Merrill Silk Company, the Merrill Hosiery Company,
the DeWitt-Boag Silk Company, the Huguet Silk Company, and Julius Kayser & Company as the prime players
in the city’s silk industry. The exhibit celebrated the silk industry, treating it as a source of civic pride, and
crediting it with furnishing employment in the city, making Hornell a desirable place to live, continuing to grow
the population of the city, and carrying “the name of Hornell to all the world.”87 Producing silk at such a scale
required a large number of skilled laborers. An undated North Hornell promotional pamphlet provides details on
the workforce of several facilities: DeWitt-Boag employed seventy-five weavers producing a high-grade line of
chiffons and veiling; Hickey-Freeman Firm consisted of ten-fifteen women hand-sewing men’s clothing;
Hornell Underwear Company had fifty people producing fine muslin and linen garments; Huguet Silk had a
chiffon and veiling plant employing 400, with an additional plant in Canisteo; Julius Kayser & Co. had forty-
nine employees at its time of closing, with an additional plant in Wellsville; Kayser Glove employed 300 – the
majority of which were experts at their craft.88
The Great Depression of the 1930s brought many silk manufacturing companies across the nation to a standstill,
as the demand for luxury goods such as silk decreased dramatically. Amalgamated Silk had already vacated the
Rockland Silk Mill by this point, and Julius Kayser and Company had shut down operations in Hornell as well,
but the juggernaut Merrill Silk Company soon followed. The Merrill Silk Mill on Canisteo and Pleasant Streets
86
Collette Cornish, “Silk Manufacturers in Hornellsville & Hornell New York,” City of Hornell Historian, 2017.
87
“Industrial Exhibit of Our Greater Hornell,” Hornell (NY)Evening Tribune, July 31, 1924, 5.
88
Collette Cornish, “Silk Manufacturers in Hornellsville & Hornell New York.”
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“ceased textile operations in 1939 and was subsequently auctioned off at a bankruptcy sale.”89 The complex was
demolished in the 1980s.
The onset of World War II further curtailed the production of silk for the general public and further affected the
remaining silk manufacturers in Hornell. A freeze on silk production during the war led Huguet Silk to change
its name to Huguet Fabrics in 1941. Somewhat ironically, two months later it was awarded an army contract of
$52,000 for the production of parachute silk.90
By the end of World War II, the silk production industry that had come to define the city of Hornell was no
longer thriving. Though textile manufacturing was still taking place in the city, it largely focused on new
synthetic fabrics such as nylon and rayon. Post-World War II, Rockland Silk Mill was occupied by the Dolores
Dress Company and subsequently by the Marion Rohr Factory. DeWitt-Boag continued operations in Hornell
until the passing of Benjamin C. DeWitt in 1957, after which the company was liquidated in 1958. The DeWitt-
Boag factory on Allen Street housed the Hornell City School’s maintenance building for a period, before being
demolished in 2012.91 Merrill Hosiery continued production of nylon stockings at its factory on Bank Street
until it shut down in 1977. By the end of the twentieth century, only two original silk mills remained in
operation in Hornell, due to the fact they were able to adapt operations to manufacture synthetic textile
products. These two were Marion Rohr, which operated out of the Rockland Silk Mill, and Stern and Stern,
which had purchased Huguet Silk and operated out of the Thacher Street mill. Despite the cessation of silk
production, the fact that the Rockland Silk Mill was able to survive in any capacity given the changing industry
in Hornell that followed, especially because so many of the other silk mills have been lost to demolition, only
heightens the importance of the building.
Industrial Loft Typology

The Rockland Silk Mill is significant under Criterion C in Architecture as an example of a late-nineteenth-
century industrial loft building that was designed to house the light manufacturing process of silk throwing. The
form, materials, and design of the original 1894 factory and powerhouse are all characteristic of a typical
industrial loft, which required light and air, heavy construction, large single areas that could be easily adjusted
to the needs of the tenants, the elimination of excessive columns, ample utilities, such as elevators, that were
properly arranged, and fire protection.92 Though the Rockland Silk Mill was originally engineered for one
purpose, that of throwing silk, its adaptability as an industrial loft form meant that the building could continue
to function even when housing different industries, such as the later silk broadcloth and garment fabrication
operations that occupied the building. While the various outbuildings surrounding the Rockland Silk Mill came
89
“Merrill Silk Mill Complex,” Historic American Engineering Record NY-126.
90
“It is No Longer Known as Huguet Silk Corp Because the Freezing of Silk,” Hornell (NY)Evening Tribune, October 11, 1941, 2.
91
92
Bradley, 122.
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and went, changing size and function depending upon the type of operation run by the current tenant, the core
buildings represented by the factory and powerhouse remained virtually unchanged from their original
construction. This adaptability in form and function ensured that the Rockland Silk Mill was able to exist
beyond its original purpose of a silk throwing facility, delving into the weaving aspect of the silk manufacturing
process.
The 1902 Dictionary of Architecture and Building defined a mill as “a building in which any mechanical trade
or manufacture is carried on, more especially one with a number of employees and a good deal of machinery; in
this sense, frequently a very large building, with a vast number of windows, so arranged as to throw daylight
over all parts of each story, with all uniformity practicable.”93 While this definition is certainly applicable to the
Rockland Silk Mill, the word “mill” has a strong association with the textile industry. The Rockland Silk Mill
was originally designed for the earliest stage of silk production, that of “throwing” silk to produce silk yarns,
rather than the later process of weaving these silk yarns into textiles. The use of the term “loft” in the late
nineteenth century referred to “multistory manufacturing buildings erected in urban areas to
house…commercial or industrial tenants.”94 Therefore, the term “industrial loft” better defines the general
building type that is represented by the Rockland Silk Mill, which was initially constructed to house the light
manufacturing processes of silk spinning and winding, not the process of textile manufacturing.
One of the first considerations when constructing a new industrial loft was the question of location. Due to the
fairly utilitarian nature of such buildings, efforts were made to keep costs economical. Therefore, the decision
of where to build took into consideration the initial construction and setup costs of a particular location, the
transportation of materials and finished goods to that location, and the availability of labor surrounding the
location.95 To be considered a prime site, a location must be located next to a rail line and close to an urban area
that was easily accessible via walking or public transport.
These considerations were almost certainly part of the criteria that led Edwin Brown to select the current
location when constructing the Rockland Silk Mill. The proximity of the site to the New York and Lake Erie
Railroad would make the construction of the building efficient and cost-effective, as supplies could be obtained
easily without having to be transported great distances. The railroad had also affected the population of the
surrounding town of Hornellsville, swelling the number of people in town and therefore providing the Rockland
Silk Mill with a readily available labor force that was conveniently located to access the site daily. This initial
siting of the Rockland Silk Mill was crucial to its continued operation once the Rockland Silk Company vacated
93
Bradley, 29.
94
Bradley, 30.
95
Bradley, 56.
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the premises as “the importance of a good location and the adaptability of industrial lofts…to different kinds of
manufacturing operations led to their use by several operations.”96
The industrial loft is described “as a building that provided two or more stories of lofts,” and was typically
constructed of non-combustible materials such as brick. 97 As an industrial loft was “especially suited to house
light manufacturing and finishing operations,” it was imperative that the interior of the building receive
adequate natural lighting and ventilation. 98 Therefore, one of the primary requirements of the building type was
large, regularly spaced windows that would fully and evenly illuminate manufacturing activities taking place on
the interior. Consequently, industrial lofts were engineered so that the exterior walls could support the largest
windows possible. To achieve the necessary openings, the exterior brick walls were designed to be load bearing,
with brick piers or pilasters supporting the walls and allowing for maximum fenestration.
These large windows were typically sized to ensure that natural light would penetrate to the center of the
interior space, with a direct correlation between the width of the building and the ceiling height required to
achieve maximum effect. An ideal width for an industrial loft that would result in good light penetration to the
interior was around 30 to 40 feet. Wider buildings would require taller windows to adequately light the interior,
and an industrial loft measuring 60 feet in width would require “relatively high ceilings of 13 to 14 feet.”99
While the width of an industrial loft was governed largely by lighting requirements, the length of the building
“was determined by the size of the operation, the limitations of mechanical power distribution, and the extent of
the area that could be effectively supervised.”100A narrow width-to-length ratio was ideal as it allowed the
transmission of power through line shafts that extended the length of the factory, and multiple stories shortened
the distance power was required to travel.101
The original 1894 factory of the Rockland Silk Mill displays all the typical characteristics of an industrial loft
building. The footprint measuring 48 feet in width by 220 feet in length demonstrates the narrow width-to-
length ratio that was ideal for powering equipment, and the two-story height meant a shorter travel distance to
power the equipment. The exterior walls are constructed of brick and feature heavy brick piers delineating each
of the bays, which in turn support the large, regularly spaced windows that would have provided natural lighting
to the interior. The nearly 50-foot-width of the factory would have necessitated taller than normal ceiling
heights to fully light the interior and, at 14 feet, the ceilings of the Rockland Silk Mill factory validate this
standard of proportions for an industrial loft.
96
Bradley, 26.
97
Bradley, 31
98
Bradley, 32.
99
Bradley, 32.
100
Bradley, 32.
101
Intensive-Level Architectural Survey: South Dublin Neighborhood, Paterson, New Jersey, Hunter Research, Inc.
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A typical industrial loft required a powerhouse to house the equipment that supplied the manufacturing
machinery with power. Due to the risk of fire or explosion, the powerhouse was typically located outside of the
primary manufacturing space, either adjacent to it or in a separate, freestanding building. Powerhouses “were
constructed of non-combustible materials, usually stone or brick” and typically followed the architectural style
of the main factory. 102 Like the primary manufacturing space, the powerhouse would feature large, regularly
spaced windows to provide natural light and, most important, ventilation.103 The size of the powerhouse was
determined by the number of boilers and engines it was required to house, and the interior “was spanned with
trussed roofs to eliminate interior columns.” 104
The mechanical equipment contained in a powerhouse required a chimney to function. The chimney would
produce “a draft that facilitated the combustion of coal (which heated water in boilers to produce steam) and
carried off gases that resulted from combustion.”105 The height of a powerhouse chimney was determined by the
type of coal used to fuel the boiler and typically ranged from 75 to 100 feet106 Brick was the most common
construction material for a chimney, which tended to be either square or circular in space. Circular chimneys
were more common after the 1880s, as engineers preferred the rounded shape, which was less susceptible to
wind pressure. However, not all chimneys were constructed of brick. By the 1870s, iron stacks were also
commonly in use. A short chimney, or “stack,” was typically a self-supporting structure made of sheet metal.
An iron stack was considered “more efficient than a brick chimney because there was less air infiltration
through the walls of the structure and because it took up less space than its brick counterpart.”107
The original 1894 powerhouse of the Rockland Silk Mill is characteristic of a typical industrial loft powerhouse
in location, form, and function. The powerhouse is located outside of, but adjacent to, the factory building
where the manufacturing work took place. The powerhouse also emulates the design of the factory, featuring
brick construction and large, regularly spaced windows that would provide natural light and ventilation to the
space. The interior consists of a large, open plan featuring a roof of heavy timber trusses that eliminate the need
for columns. Only the brick base of the chimney remains, but earlier Sanborn maps indicate, the brick base once
held an iron chimney stack (although the exact height of the iron chimney is unknown, as the heights listed on
various Sanborn maps varied widely over the years).
In addition to the factory and powerhouse, a collection of outbuildings completed the industrial loft complex.
These buildings varied depending upon the type of manufacturing process in operation, but they often served
purposes such as storage, coal supply, and office space. While the outbuildings associated with the Rockland
Silk Mill during the period of significance no longer exist, the primary functions of silk production associated
102
Bradley, 49.
103
Intensive-Level Architectural Survey: South Dublin Neighborhood, Paterson, New Jersey, Hunter Research, Inc.
104
Bradley, 50.
105
Bradley, 52.
106
Bradley, 52.
107
Bradley, 52.
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with the period of significance took place within the factory and powerhouse, which are still intact and retain a
significant degree of historic integrity.
The exterior elements of an industrial loft, such as the form, construction method, and materials, and
fenestration, were carefully planned to support the operations taking place inside the building. A factory space
“had to reflect the fact that manufacturing involved both workers and machines, the presence of which placed
different demands on structures.”108 One of the defining characteristics of an industrial loft was its open floor
plan, typically supported by an exposed structural system of beams and columns, with “vertical circulation and
service areas [that] were grouped so as to intrude into the workspace as little as possible.”109 The open floor
plan was possible due to new developments in power distribution, such as line shafts, that emerged during the
late-nineteenth century.110 The introduction of powered platform elevators also allowed for easy transportation
of goods between floors within a relatively small footprint, allowing the open interior space to be maintained.111
While interior columns allowed for an open floor plan, there was a trade-off between the number of columns
used and the cost of construction. Fewer columns meant longer spans and higher ceilings, which increased the
price of a building. However, the larger bays created by fewer columns could accommodate a wider range of
machinery and operators. Engineers estimated a loss of 9 to 16 feet of floor area around every column.112
Therefore, the best way to determine the number of columns was to calculate the spacing required within the
interior bays necessary to house the manufacturing equipment that would be operated in the building. The
positioning of machinery, and therefore the size of the interior bays, was “determined by the limitations of
mechanical power distribution systems.”113
The placement of machinery within an industrial loft placed certain requirements on the building, and “sturdy
framing was needed to resist the vibration and oscillation that accompanied the operation of equipment.” 114
Nineteenth-century industrial lofts typically featured an interior frame of heavy timber, with columns of either
wood or cast-iron. A specialized type of industrial loft designed to house a textile mill often featured a specific
construction type known as “mill construction,” which featured heavy-timber framing with wood columns and
thick wood floors laid directly onto the support beams. This construction type was designed to be fire-resistant,
or slow-burning, due to the thickness of the timbers and the lack of air gaps in the floor as compared to a joisted
floor. This construction method was very appropriate to a true textile mill for two reasons. First, textile mills,
particularly cotton mills, were at high risk of fire due to the presence of cotton dust in the air. The heavy timbers
108
Bradley, 26.
109
Bradley, 31
110
Bradley, 74.
111
Bradley, 32.
112
Bradley, 112.
113
Bradley, 27.
114
Bradley, 27.
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would retain their structural integrity better than cast-iron columns in the case of fire, as the outer few inches
could char without compromising the interior wood. Additionally, the combination of heavy-timber columns
paired with thick wooden floors provided a strong, but elastic, structure that could withstand the heavy
vibrations of power looms.
The strength of cast-iron columns could be “compromised by incessant vibration” and therefore were not
considered suitable for a textile mill. 115 However, an industrial loft designed “for light manufacturing (which
was often handwork aided by relatively small machines)…was different enough from a textile mill that there
was no real reason to use heavy timber floor construction.”116 Cast-iron columns were considered too stiff for
textile mills, but they were ideal for industrial lofts that did not typically house heavy equipment and would
require “stiff, strong floors framed by cast-iron columns and joists more than [it] did the elasticity of mill
construction.”117 Cast-iron columns had the additional benefit of being smaller in diameter than the heavy
timber columns used in mill construction “and consequently blocked less light,” an ideal trait for the industrial
loft that needed as much natural lighting as possible.
Industrial loft construction combatted the issues of vibration and oscillation in other ways as well. The brick
pilasters that supported the large window openings in exterior walls served the dual purpose of shoring up
exterior walls against oscillation. Engineers would also overlay a joisted floor with “the top layer of flooring
diagonally to make the two floor layers act as a horizontal lattice.”118 Additionally, roofs were designed so as to
minimize the effects of oscillation, which could cause exterior walls to bulge.
The interior of the 1894 Rockland Silk Mill factory is characteristic of an industrial loft designed for light
manufacturing work such as silk throwing. The factory largely retains the open interior floor plan with vertical
circulation tucked away so as to intrude upon the workspace as little as possible, and a central freight elevator
would have made transporting goods between floors easy and efficient. The open plan is supported by strong,
heavy-timber beams and a single row of cast-iron columns running longitudinally down the center of the space.
The columns, due to their small diameter, would not block natural light on the interior. Paired with the cast-iron
columns, the joisted floors would have provided the rigid strength required by the relatively light spinning and
winding machines of a silk throwing operation. The top layer of flooring in the factory comprises narrow wood
strips laid on a diagonal, which would have helped combat any effects of oscillation from the machinery.
Additionally, the heavy timber trusses on the second floor would have provided stability to the roof structure.
115
Bradley, 126.
116
Bradley, 123.
117
Bradley, 123.
118
Bradley, 110.
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The original 1894 factory and powerhouse of the Rockland Silk Mill have retained the form, construction
methods, and materials characteristic of a typical nineteenth-century industrial loft building, and therefore
possess a high level of historic integrity. While originally designed and engineered to house the light
manufacturing operation of silk throwing, the adaptability of the industrial loft building type allowed the
Rockland Silk Mill to continue to operate even after the function of the interior changed. The transition from
throwing to weaving allowed the building to become a prominent site of silk production during the peak period
of Hornell’s silk industry.
After the Period of Significance
After Amalgamated Silk shut down operations in 1923, silk manufacturing at the Rockland Silk Mill came to an
end. While Amalgamated Silk no longer operated out of Hornell, it did still own the building, which continued
to sit vacant for seven years. The 1926 Sanborn map listed the Rockland Silk Mill as “Formerly Amalgamated
Silk Corp, Not in Operation.” The factory and clerestory lanterns remained unchanged from the 1915 Sanborn
map, as did the powerhouse (excepting the chimney height, which changed again to a 40-foot iron chimney set
atop a 14-foot brick base), repair shop, coal shed, and brick office with attached storage area. The two-story
wood-framed storage building was no longer extant, though the two-story walkway that ran between the storage
building and the factory remained intact.
Despite sitting vacant for seven years, the Rockland Silk Mill did eventually go on to house several other
businesses. The first tenant to occupy the building after the period of significance was the Nelke Sign
Manufacturing Company, which purchased the Rockland Silk Mill in 1930 from Amalgamated Silk. Nelke was
a well-established company out of New York City that jobbed metal signs for other manufacturers, and it
operated out of the building for twelve years until 1942.119 At that time, ownership passed briefly to the
Reconstruction Finance Corporation and Steuben Trust Company, and then subsequently to Hornell Enterprises,
a non-profit membership corporation. Shortly after, in 1943, the Rockland Silk Mill was leased to the Delores
Dress Company. The Delores Dress Company was an established Hornell dress-making business that employed
around 300 local women, and by 1948 it had purchased the Rockland Silk Mill to house its operation.
The 1948 Sanborn map, which listed the Dolores Dress Co. Inc. as the occupant, indicated there were some
substantial changes to the Rockland Silk Mill and the surrounding site. The brick office, which pre-dated the
Rockland Silk Mill as part of the adjacent industrial complex to the north of the site, and the attached wood-
frame storage area, along with the repair shed, the two-story walkway, and the coal shed, had been demolished.
Only the original 1894 factory and powerhouse of the Rockland Silk Mill remained, though the clerestory
lanterns had been removed from the factory and the powerhouse was re-labeled as a boiler room and
119
“Nelke Sign to Purchase Plant,” Bath Advocate (Bath, NY), May 1, 1929.
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maintenance shop. A new single-story storage area had been constructed against the southern elevation of the
powerhouse. Two single-story garages sat near the west edge of the site where the coal shed was previously
located. Additionally, what was previously called West Main Street had been designated as a state highway, and
a new concrete and steel viaduct rerouted the road over the New York & Lake Erie Railroad tracks below and
passed close to the northeast corner of the factory. A small bridge connected the factory to the viaduct at the
second-floor level.
After seven years of operation, on January 2, 1951, the Dolores Dress Company sold the Rockland Silk Mill,
and Hornell Enterprises once again took over ownership of the building.120 The very next day, on January 3rd, it
was announced that Marion Rohr and Sakura Mills Inc., of Kane, Pennsylvania, which were established
manufacturers of nylon and rayon undergarments for women and children, had agreed to take over occupancy
of the building. This transition was led by the Hornell Board of Trade as an effort to increase local industry in
response to economic decline due to the failing railroad industry. This was not a business native to Hornell.121
However, Marion Rohr continued to operate out of the Rockland Silk Mill until 2001, making an impressive run
of nearly fifty years. Because of the 1972 construction of the adjacent highway, the factory was effectively cut
off from the context of Hornell’s historic downtown. Although Marion Rohr was the longest tenant of the
Rockland Silk Mill and was involved in the manufacturing of textile products, Rorh’s textiles utilized synthetic
fibers, and this company’s history and context are unrelated to the context created for the silk industry. The
period of significance thus ends with the cessation of the production of silk in this building in 1923.
Marion Rohr operated across both floors of the Rockland Silk Mill factory to manufacture cloth and finish
undergarments. When it first opened in 1951, the factory employed around 100 women in the sewing room in
addition to twenty mill hands, with the expectation that a maximum of 200 employees once the factory reached
full operation.122 Marion Rohr began a “complete renovation of the interior and exterior” of the Rockland Silk
Mill immediately after commencing operations and it was expected that “several thousand dollars [would] be
spent making physical changes in the building.”123 The construction of the two 1927 single-story concrete
masonry unit additions also occurred during the occupation of the Rockland Silk Mill by Marion Rohr.
Throughout its nearly fifty-year run manufacturing undergarments in Hornell, Marion Rohr employed hundreds
of workers, most of whom were local Hornell women. At its peak, Marion Rohr operated 300 sewing machines
along with an elastic production line in the Rockland Silk Mill building, in addition to operating additional
factories in Hornell and Westfield.124 Due to the nature of the garments being produced, employees of Marion
120
“Dolores Building Sold To Board Corporation,” Hornell Tribune (Hornell, NY), Jan 2, 1951.
121
“Knitting Mill Moves from Kane into Former Dolores Factory,” Hornell (NY) Evening Tribune, January 3, 1951.
122
“Knitting Mill Moves from Kane into Former Delores Factory,” Hornell (NY) Evening Tribune, January 3, 1951.
123
“Knitting Mill Moves from Kane into Former Delores Factory,” Hornell Evening Tribune.
124
Bill Spicer (former Marion Rohor factory worker), interview by Eva Hofman, May 18, 2019.
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Rohr bestowed an affectionate nickname on the building where operations took place so that the Rockland Silk
Mill became known as the “Panty Shanty.” Ownership of the company changed several times during the 1990s,
though production remained constant. The facility eventually closed its doors in 2001 due to competition from
markets overseas, and the Rockland Silk Mill has remained vacant until the current rehabilitation for adaptive
reuse as an apartment building began in 2020. 125
Summary
Edwin Brown was responsible for introducing silk production to the town of Hornellsville through the
establishment of the Rockland Silk Company in 1887, and his construction of the Rockland Silk Mill in 1894
marked the beginnings of a significant industry that would come to define the city of Hornell. Having housed
both stages of the silk manufacturing process, from the initial silk “throwing” operation of the Rockland Silk
Company, to the weaving of silk broad cloth by later occupants such as Liberty Silk and Steuben Silk, the
Rockland Silk Mill was involved in all aspects of silk production during the period of significance. By the early
twentieth century, the Rockland Silk Mill was one of six silk mills operating in the area, and Hornell was
ranked second in the nation for silk production, earning it the nickname “City of Silk.”
Despite the loss of some original elements that existed during the period of significance, such as the brick office
(which was constructed before the period of significance as part of the adjacent industrial complex to the north
of the site) and various other outbuildings, and the presence the later addition that was constructed after the
period of significance, the Rockland Silk Mill remains a good example of a late-nineteenth-century industrial
loft. The heart of the silk manufacturing process historically took place within the factory space and was
facilitated by the equipment in the powerhouse. The Rockland Silk Mill retains these two core spaces that were
required for an industrial loft to function, and the factory and powerhouse exhibit a high level of historic
integrity. The load-bearing exterior brick walls with heavy-timber framing supported by cast-iron columns on
the interior typify a factory designed for light manufacturing work. The brick piers also allowed for large
windows to be placed in the walls, providing natural light to the open-plan interior spaces. The interior bays are
laid out in such a way as to be adaptable to a wide range of manufacturing machinery, allowing adaptability of
the building to various uses. Altogether, the extant 1894 factory and powerhouse of the Rockland Silk Mill tell a
cohesive story of the architectural significance of an industrial loft that was originally designed for the light
manufacturing process of silk throwing but was later able to adapt to new forms of silk production within its
walls, thereby extending the life and use of the building and enabling it to remain standing today as a testament
to the once-dominant silk production industry in Hornell. Although the building continued to house a variety of
industries after the period of significance, including other textile manufacturing companies, the Rockland Silk
Mill is being nominated due to its specific involvement in the silk production industry.
125
Fred Lehman, “Marion Rohr History,” Message to E. Hofman, May 17, 2019, Email.
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Bibliography:
Allen, Franklin. “1900 Census: Volume IX. Manufactures, Part 3. Special Reports on Selected Industries.”
United States Census Bureau Vol. IX (1902): 199-233.
https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1902/dec/vol-09-manufactures.html
American Wool and Cotton Reporter: For the Combined Textile Industries 29. No. 26. Boston: Bennet & Co.,
1915.
Babbitt, John S. and Sue. Postcard History Series: Steuben County. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. 2010.
Bero Associates Architects. “Reconnaissance Level survey of Historic Resources, City of Hornell.”
Historic Hornell, Inc. (2000).
Bradley, Betsy. The Works: Industrial Architecture of the United States. New York: Oxford University
Press, 1999.
“Clatter of the Loom.” Silk 2, no. 9 (1909).
“Clatter of the Looms.” Silk 3, no. 1 (1909).
Connolly, James. Ninth Annual Report of the Factory Inspectors of the State of New York. Albany: James B.
Lyon, State Printer. 1895.
Cornish, Collette. “Silk Manufacturers in Hornellsville & Hornell New York.” City of Hornell Historian. 2017.
Cornish, Collette. “Time Line History of Hornell, New York.” 2019. https://irp-
cdn.multiscreensite.com/7937b567/files/uploaded/City-
time%20line%20history%20of%20Hornell%202019.pdf
Field, Jaqueline and Senechal, Marjorie and Shaw, Madelyn. American Silk 1830–1930. Lubbock, TX: Texas
Tech University Press, 2007.
Finelli, James. Resource Evaluation, Hornell Downtown Historic District. New York State Office of Parks,
Recreation, and Historic Preservation, 2016.
Finelli, James. Resource Evaluation, Marion Rohr Building. New York State Office of Parks, Recreation,
and Historic Preservation, 2018.
Gazetteer of Steuben County, New York. Hornell Public Library Vertical Files, 1891.
Hakes, Hon. Harlo, ed. Landmarks of Steuben County: History the City of Hornellsville, NY., New York.
Syracuse, NY: D. Mason & Company, Publishers. 1896.
Hornell: Commemorative Book of Photos. Hornell Public Library Vertical Files. ca. 1912.
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Hornell City Directories. 1880, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1893, 1896, 1902, 1904, 1906, 1908, 1911, 1919, 1921,
1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1949, 1953, 1955,
1956.
Intensive-Level Architectural Survey: South Dublin Neighborhood, Paterson, New Jersey. Trenton, NJ: Hunter
Research, Inc. 2012.
House, Kirk W. Images of America: Around Hornell. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2009,
Hutchins, Grace. Labor and Silk. New York: International Publishers, 1929.
“Obituary: Frederick P. Merrill.” Silk, no. 14 (1921).
Landry, David. “History of Silk Production.” Industries of Mansfield. Mansfield Historical Society, May 6,
2013. http://www.mansfieldct-history.org/history-of-silk-production/.
Lehman, Fred. “Marion Rohr History.” Email message to E Hofman, May 17, 2019.
“Mill News.” Textile World Record 32. (October 1906-March 1907): 167.
“Mill Notes.” American Wool and Cotton Reporter 30, no. 1. (January 6, 1916).
“Merrill Silk Mill Complex.” Historic American Engineering Record NY-126. (1968).
https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/ny/ny1100/ny1130/data/ny1130data.pdf
Near, Irvin W. A History of Steuben County, New York, and its People. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co.,
1911.
New York – Julius Kayser, Pioneer Glove and Underwear Manufacturer, Dies.” Corset and Underwear Review
(April 1920): 85.
“Paterson: History.” The Northeast. City-Data. http://www.city-data.com/us-cities/The-Northeast/Paterson-
History.html.
Roberts, Millard F. Ed. Directory of Steuben County, New York,1891, Part Second. Syracuse, NY: Press of
John Single Paper Company, 1891.
Sanborn Map and Publishing Co. Insurance Maps of Hornellsville, New York. August 1888, July 1893,
July 1898, September 1904.
Sanborn Map Co, Insurance Maps of Hornell, New York. May 1909, March 1915, October 1926.
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“Silk Culture and Manufacture.” Dictionary of American History. Encyclopedia.com, February 8, 2021.
https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/silk-culture-
and-manufacture.
Silk 7. No. 1 (1914): 28.
Spellen, Suzanne. “Past and Present: The Julius Kayser Company, Clinton Hill.” Brownstoner.
https://www.brownstoner.com/history/past-and-present-the-julius-kayser-company-clinton-hill/.
Thirtieth Annual Report of the State Department of Health of New York for the Year Ending December 31,
1909, vol II. Albany, NY: J.B. Lyon Company, Printers, 1910.
“Trade Notes.” The American Silk Journal (January 1915).
United States Investor 22, no. 26 (July 1, 1911).
Williams, John, ed. First Annual Industrial Directory of New York State: 1912. Albany, NY: State Department
of Labor. 1913.
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Verbal Boundary Description
The boundaries is indicated with a bold line on the attached maps with scale.
Boundary Justification
The boundary encompasses all property historically associated with the property during the period of
significance, which corresponds with the current legal parcel boundary.
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Additional Information
Photo Log:
Name of Property: Rockland Silk Mill

City or Vicinity: Hornell
County: Steuben
State: NY
Photographer: Matthew Goldberg of Johnson-Schmidt, Architect, PC
Date Photographed: April 30, 2021
Number of photographs: 17
1 of 17: Looking south at the factory’s north and east elevations from underneath the overpass.
2 of 17: Looking northwest across the factory’s east elevation with a transomed original window in the
foreground.
3 of 17: Looking northwest at the factory’s south elevation.
4 of 17: Looking north at the factory’s west elevation.
5 of 17: Looking northwest through the courtyard at the 1957 addition.
6 of 17: Looking southeast at the west elevation of the 1957 addition.
7 of 17: Looking east at the powerhouse.
8 of 17: Looking northwest down the first-floor corridor with retained columns and beams.
9 of 17: Looking east at an original tin-clad fire door in the powerhouse.
10 of 17: Looking east at the reused wood paneling from the elevator shaft and a door from the powerhouse.
11 of 17: Looking east at two restored original transomed windows and the underside of a staircase.
12 of 17: Looking northwest through the 1957 addition.
13 of 17: Looking northwest down a restored original staircase.
14 of 17: Looking northwest down the second-floor corridor with restored original wood flooring, posts and
beams.
15 of 17: Looking south at an original timber truss.
16 of 17: Looking east at original wood flooring and an exposed perimeter brick wall.
17 of 17: Looking southeast down a restored original staircase.
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Site Plan: showing current conditions

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Historic Photos
“Silk Mills” (c. 1912-1919), Hornell: The Maple City Booklet, Hornell Chamber of Commerce, undated.
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Detail of previous image, showing the Rockland Silk Mill occupied by the Steuben Silk Company (c. 1907-
1919)
*Note the pre-existing brick office located at the northeast corner of the factory, on the right side of the photo,
and the clerestory lanterns that first appear on the 1915 Sanborn Map.
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Sanborn Maps
Detail, June 1898, sheet 4

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Detail, September 1904, sheet 4

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Detail, May 1909, sheet 22

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Detail, March 1915, sheet 11

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Detail, October 1926, sheet 11

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Detail, October 1926 updated to September 1948, sheet 11

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Rockland Silk Mill Horn Ell Steuben County

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NPS Form 10-900 OMB No.

United States Department of the Interior

National Register of Historic Places

historic name ROCKLAND SILK MILL

name of related multiple property listing N/A

street & number 18 N. Main Street [ ] not for publication

city or town Hornell [ ] vicinity

3. State/Federal Agency Certification

Signature of certifying official/Title Date

State or Federal agency and bureau

Signature of certifying official/Title Date

State or Federal agency and bureau

4. National Park Service Certification

[ ] removed from the National Register

[X] private [X] building(s) Contributing Noncontributing

Name of related multiple property listing Number of contributing resources previously

Historic Functions Current Functions

INDUSTRY/manufacturing facility (textile mill) VACANT

Architectural Classification Materials

No Style foundation brick, concrete

walls brick, concrete

roof metal, rubber membrane

[ ]B Property is associated with the lives of persons

[X] C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics

[ ]D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information Significant Dates:

[ ]A owned by a religious institution or used for

[ ]B removed from its original location N/A

[ ]G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance Architect/Builder:

Narrative Statement of Significance

Previous documentation on file (NPS): Primary location of additional data:

Acreage of Property 0.93 acres

1 | 1 | 8 | 280247 4689793 3 |1|8| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Verbal Boundary Description

name/title Matthew Goldberg [Edited by Jennifer Walkowski, NYSHPO]

organization Johnson-Schmidt, Architect, PC date 5/3/2021

city or town Corning state NY zip code 14830

Representative black and white photographs of the property.

street & number: telephone:

city or town: state: zip code:

United States Department of the Interior

National Register of Historic Places

Narrative Description of Property

United States Department of the Interior

National Register of Historic Places

Site Plan, showing dates of construction

United States Department of the Interior

National Register of Historic Places

United States Department of the Interior

National Register of Historic Places

United States Department of the Interior

National Register of Historic Places

Addition (1957) Non-Contributing

United States Department of the Interior

National Register of Historic Places

United States Department of the Interior

National Register of Historic Places

United States Department of the Interior

National Register of Historic Places

United States Department of the Interior