Image: 1910 - Adelaide Silk Mill

Description: Postcard of Adelaide Silk Mill - 1910 Later known as Phoenix Clothing, the Adelaide Silk Mill became one of the largest producers of silk products in the United States. By 1900, there were twenty-three silk establishments in Allentown, making Pennsylvania second only to New Jersey in silk production. The silk industry in Pennsylvania and the United States peaked in the late 1920s. After that the Great Depression, increasing labor unrest, and competition from rayon began to affect the industry locally and nationally. During World War II the supply of silk disappeared because nearly all of it had been imported from Japan. After the war, new synthetic fibers, especially nylon, replaced silk in many garments and the plant began to produce clothing for major retailers such as Sears, Montgomery Ward, J. C. Penny and other brands. Phoenix Clothing remained in production until about 1985 until declaring bankruptcy citing foreign competition and lower manufacturing costs overseas. After closing, the building became a large storage facility. Current plans for the empty mill is for it to be totally renovated into a apartments
Title: 1910 - Adelaide Silk Mill
Credit: Anonymous
Author: Anonymous Postcard Photographer
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No