Strouse, Adler Company Corset Factory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Strouse, Adler Company Corset Factory
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 78-84 Olive St., New Haven, Connecticut |
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| Area | 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) |
| Built | 1876 |
| Architectural style | Italianate, Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000864 |
| Added to NRHP | August 22, 2002 |
The Strouse, Adler Company Corset Factory is an old factory building in New Haven, Connecticut. It's located at 78-84 Olive Street. This factory was built between 1876 and 1923. It was the biggest and oldest company in New Haven that made corsets. The factory kept making corsets until 1998. In 2002, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the building has been changed into homes.
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About the Factory Building
The old Strouse, Adler factory is in New Haven, just east of the city center. It's in an area called the Wooster Square district. The factory is made up of many brick buildings connected together. These buildings are different heights, from one to four stories tall.
How the Factory Looked
The oldest parts of the factory look like buildings from the 1860s and 1870s. This style is called Italianate. Later additions in the early 1900s have a more Classical Revival look. The whole factory complex is shaped like a rectangle. It has parts that stick out at the corners. There's also a courtyard in the middle, which has some buildings added into it.
A Brief History of the Company
The company that became Strouse, Adler started in 1861. It was first called J.H. Smith and Company. This was the first company in the United States to make corsets.
From J.H. Smith to Strouse, Adler
In 1862, Isaac Strouse bought the business. He then partnered with Max Adler, who sold dry goods in the area. The company grew quickly. It moved several times before settling into this factory building in 1876. Before that, another company called Winchester Shirt Company used the building. In 1899, the company officially became Strouse, Adler. It became a corporation in 1927.
New Haven's Corset King
Strouse, Adler was a leader in making corsets popular. By the 1890s, New Haven was the biggest producer of corsets in the country. The company stayed successful for most of the 20th century. Even when corsets became less popular, they did well. They started using lighter fabrics and making other types of "foundation garments." In 1998, a company called Sara Lee bought Strouse, Adler. After that, the factory in New Haven closed down.
