Phoenix
Mill
Van
Houten and
Cianci Streets
HAER
No. NJ-4
DATE:
ca 1813; and
1826-27
LOCATION: Van
Houten and
Cianci Streets
OWNER: Todd
Enterprises
The
Phoenix Mill is
the oldest
extant structure
in the Historic
District of
Paterson. An
1821 deed
describes the
original
structure on the
site which is
similar to the
existing mill in
height and width
but not in
length. Precise
measurement
revealed that
the walls of the
eastern end are
thicker than
those at the
west end, which
suggests
different dates
and methods of
construction
Further
investigation
led to the
conclusion that
the eastern
portion, which
measures forty
two by fifty
feet, is the
building
described in the
deed and that it
dates from ca.
1813. The
remaining
portion,
although
externally
identical to the
original, was
constructed some
time after the
deed was drawn
up; probably in
1826 or 1827,
shortly after
the
incorporation of
the Phoenix
Manufacturing
Company under
John Travers,
Jr. It is
possible that
the early
structure was
designed with
expansion in
mind, for its
western end was
of frame
construction,
which
facilitated the
later addition.
A
structure of
considerable
elegance and
style, the
Phoenix Mill
operated first
as a cotton mill
and, after the
mid-1860s, as a
silk mill. Later
additions and
alterations
enabled the
manufacture of
various
machinery and
equipment needed
in the
processing of
silk.
TRANSMITTED
BY: Monica E.
Hawley,
Historian, 1983
The
Phoenix Mill Lot
The following is
the result of a
deed search done
at the time of
this survey:
"Beginning at
the northwest
corner of Lot No.
7 at the Passaic
River, running
from thence south
21 degrees and 30
minutes east 340
feet to the canal;
thence along the
same 100 feet;
thence north 68
degrees and 30
minutes west 358
feet to said
River; thence
along the same up
stream there of to
the place of
beginning."
(Hereafter
referred to as
Phoenix Lot #1,
the most westerly
of the Phoenix
Lots.)
"Beginning at
the canal in said
Boudinot Street at
the corner of lot
then unleased,
running thence
north 22 degrees
and 15 minutes
west to the said
Passaic River;
thence up the said
River with the
courses thereof
till it strikes
the line of the
here before
described lot;
thence south 22
degrees and 15
minutes east along
the line of said
lot till it
strikes the canal;
thence along the
canal 50 feet to
the place of
beginning."
(Hereafter
referred to as
Phoenix Lot #2.)
"Beginning on
the north side of
the wall of the
canal in said
street at the
westerly corner of
the lot now or
formerly occupied
by Warren Haight
and running
westerly along
said canal wall
fifty feet to the
lot heretofore
leased by the S.
U. M. to said
Phoenix
Manufacturing
Company; thence
northerly along
the afore-
mentioned lot to
the south bank of
the Passaic River,
thence easterly
along the bank of
said river to the
said lot now or
formerly occupied
by said Warren
Haight; thence
southerly along
the western bounds
of said last
mentioned lots to
the place of
beginning"
(Hereafter
referred to as
Phoenix Lot #3,
the most easterly
of the Phoenix
Lots.)
His attempt at
spinning
candlewick in the
society's mill
having failed,
John Parke leased
Phoenix Lot # 1
one from the
S.U.M. in 1807,
and built a frame
building for
cotton spinning.
Four years later,
Parke leased
Phoenix Lot #2
from the Society,
and with the
demands of the War
of 1812, rebuilt
his factory and
enlarged his
operation.
The mill was held
as collateral for
a loan made by the
Paterson Bank and
Parke was forced
to relinquish the
property in 1817
in a forceclosure.
The Bank sold the
mill to Joaquin J.
Yasquez, who used
it to produce
linen sail canvas,
sail twines, etc.
He sold one half
of the business to
John Travers, Jr.
for $15,000 in
1821, and the two
formed a
partnership which
continued until
1823, when Travers
bought Vasquez's
share of the
business for
$15,000. There
exists a complete
description and
inventory for the
factory in 1821 in
the Essex County
Book of Deeds (E,
p. 116-121 &
F, p.343.)
The need for
additional capital
prompted Travers
to incorporate the
flax mill under
the title of the
Phoenix
Manufacturing Co.
to which he sold
the leasehold for
$52,600 in 1825.
At this time,
according to
Fisher's census of
1825, the Phoenix
housed several
other small
manufacturers,
including Henry
Post, a machinist
who employed six
hands, the chair
making and turning
establishment of
Chauncey Andrews,
employing
twenty-five, and
the cotton mill of
Aaron and Robert
King which had
1512 spindles,
forty-eight
employees,
consumed twenty
hundred weight of
cotton weekly, and
paid out weekly
wages totaling
$106. In the same
year Travers flax
mill had 1188
spindles,
thirty-five looms,
and twenty-one
power looms in the
mill; of which ten
were in operation,
and 164 employees.
The factory
consumed three
tons of flax
weekly, and had
twenty-three
handlooms employed
outside the
factory, turning
out forty-six
bolts of forty
yards each in a
week. The looms in
the factory turned
out eighty-six
bolts of linen. In
1826, the Phoenix
Manufacturing Co.
completed
construction of
final section of
the present
building.
In a census taken
two years later,
the Phoenix
Manufacturing Co.
had a total
capitalization of
$132,000. A second
water wheel and
sail cloth looms
had been added
sometime in 1825.
The factory had
1200 spindles,
spinning 500,000
lbs. of flax
valued at $60,000
a year. These fed
fifty-two power
looms and twenty
hands looms (all
in the factory)
producing 328,300
yards of duck
yearly with a
value of $128,037.
Additionally,
about 200 lbs. of
linen yarn were
exported annually.
Employed were
eighty-nine men,
eighty-one women,
and 114 children,
paid $35,000 per
year.
According.to the
1829 census the
Phoenix Mill Lot
housed William
Jacob's turning
shop, which
employed fourteen
men, the machine
shop of Paul and
Beggs which also
included a
blacksmith's shop
with three fires
and carpenters
shop and which
employed eighteen
hands. By then,
the Phoenix
Manufacturing Co.
had 1616 spindles.
It consumed
600,000 lbs. of
flax annually on
forty-nin9 power
looms and
twenty-four
handlooms, weaving
450,000 yards of
duck a year. It
also produced
143,000 yards of
bagging annually.
Two-hundred-sixty
hands were
employed in the
factory, and 135
people were
employed weaving
outside the
factory.
By 1832 Phoenix
Manufacturing had
divided into a
linen duck factory
of 1616 spindles,
employing 196, and
consuming 493,000
lbs. of flax
annually, and a
cotton mill which
had 4132 spindles,
employed 250, and
processed 312,000
lbs. of cotton a
year on
thirty-five power
looms. Sharing the
mill lot with
Phoenix was the
turning shop of
Chauncey Andrews,
with three hands,
the turning
establishment of
Jacobs and
Andrews, with
twenty hands, the
turning shop of
Furlong and Laird,
with ten men, and
that of Thomas
Riper, employing
six. There were
also the
millwright shop of
Paul and Beggs,
employing
thirty-seven, and
the wadding
manufactory of
Henry Worrel,
which consumed
12,000 lbs of
cotton yearly with
four workers.
The confinement of
weaving to the
factory in the
mid-1820's is
partially
attributable to
Chauncey Andrews
who in 1826
applied a power
loom to weaving
canvas, and soon
the power loom
supplanted hand
weaving done in
the home.
Rendered on a city
map of 1835 is
Andrews' plant,
east of the
Phoenix
Manufacturing Co.
on the north side
of Boudinot
Street. Andrews'
business occupied
two buildings; one
L shaped, 20'x
60'x 401x 30', set
back 70' from the
street. The other
was square, 30'x
40', located close
to the river
(Bankruptcy and
inventory of
Andrews' shop in
1835)
In 1836, the
Phoenix Mfg. Co.
leased Phoenix Lot
#3, which had
previously been
leased to Warren
Haight from the
SUM. Included in
the $600 annual
fee was one square
foot of water, for
a total of
359" for
all the Phoenix
Lots.
After 1836, the
Phoenix
Manufacturing Co.
occupied all three
of the Phoenix sub
lots. The three
lots were sold to
Roswell Colt in
1840, for part of
the $125,000 he
paid to the SUM
for several
parcels. The day
after the
purchase, Roswell
conveyed the plot
to the executors
of the estate of
his father-in-law,
Robert Oliver. In
1844 the firm
leased additional
351" of water
for a 720" or
five square feet
total for whole
Phoenix Works.
The 1850 census of
New Jersey lists
the Phoenix
Manufacturing Co.
as producing
cotton and flax,
with $200,000
invested in its
plant. Using
450,000 lbs; of
cotton, 300,000
lbs. of flax and
100 tons of coal,
the factory had
8000 spindles and
fifty-two looms.
The census notes
that the factory
had not been in
operation during
the previous
eighteen months.
In 1854, the
company returned
to the manufacture
of cotton almost
exclusively.
In 1858, Phoenix
Manufacturing
leased lot
#3,which had been
occupied by first
Warren Haight and
subsequently
William Adams to
John van Winkle.
Van Winkle later
erected a
two-story frame
building, 30'x 50'
on the lot in
violation of the
terms of his
sub-lease from
Phoenix. In an
agreement with the
Phoenix Co. dated
1861, Van Winkle
agreed to surface
all outside walls
with brick, and
"also to
extend the tinned
roof over the
whole".
In the 1860 New
Jersey Census, the
Phoenix
Manufacturing Co.
is listed as
producing cotton,
duck, and yarn,
having $250,000
invested in the.
plant, consuming
128,000 lbs. of
cotton in the
previous year,
using water power,
thirty-one male
and 110 female
workers producing
goods worth
$130,636.
Arriving in
Paterson from New
York City early
that year Benjamin
B. Tilt,
established a
silk-throwing
plant on the top
floor of the
Phoenix Mill which
he had taken to
settle a debt. His
products were gum
and sewing silks.
In 1862, Tilt's
son Albert was
admitted to a
partnership, and
the firm became
B.B. Tilt and Son.
The firm prospered
and by 1664 the
Tilts occupied
parts bf the
Phoenix, Beaver
and the Old Watson
Mills. One year
later, the Tilts
procured a
controlling
interest in the
Phoenix
Manufacturing Co.,
and shifted
production from
cotton to silk.
After five years
of their control,
the Phoenix
Manufacturing Co.
was producing
39,000 lbs. of
silk worth
$468,000 in a
year. According to
the New Jersey
Census of 1870,
the Tilt's
capitalization of
the Phoenix Co.
was $400,000, and
with the 120
horsepower
produced by a
fifty-four inch
turbine wheel,
40,725 lbs. of
Chinese, Japanese,
Italian and French
raw silk into
"silk
fringe".
Their fifty-six
male, 144 female
and 170 child
workers operated
five winders and
spinners of
fifty-six spools
each, ten cleaners
of fifty-six
spools each,
fourty dumblers of
fifty-six pools
each, seventy-two
spindles, four
spoolers, and
fifty winders of
fifty-six spools
each and 16,000
spindles. The
total wages paid
by the firm in a
year was $69,000.
Trumbull notes
that
"Additions
were made to the
Phoenix Mill from
time to time until
there were
facilities to not
only manufacture
everything in the
line of silk goods
but to build the
machinery
wherewith to do
the work, some of
the very best
looms and other
machinery in use
being built on the
premises." In
1874, the company
purchased Lots #1
and #2 which they
had been leasing
up to this time
from the
descendants of
Roswell and
Margaret Colt for
$2,333.3315. The
next year, the Van
Winkle machine
shop on Lot #3
burned, and John
Van Winkle
surrendered his
lease on the
property to the
Phoenix
Manufacturing Co.
for $12,000. The
shop was rebuilt
for silk
manufacturing
purposes, and the
Van Winkle shop
was incorporated
into the Phoenix
Company, occupying
the lower floor of
the old Phoenix
Mill, and using
the patterns from
the Van Winkle
shop to
manufacture
machinery for silk
processing. Henry
Van Winkle, John's
son, became
superintendent of
the new subsidiary
manufactory. The
front portion of
the newly expanded
premises was
remodeled, and new
structure erected,
corresponding with
the "elder
Phoenix" in
the rear, in 1881.
The plant employed
800, receiving a
$260,000 annual
payroll, who used
3,000 lbs. of raw
silk weekly to
manufacture
products worth
$1,450,000 per
annum. Power was
supplied by one
turbine of 140
horsepower, and
two 60-horsepower
steam engines.
17
The company spun
silk yarn at its
Adelaide Silk
Works in
Allentown,
Pennsylvania to be
woven at its plant
on Van Houten
Street.
In 1892, at a
meeting of the
board of
directors, the
Phoenix
Manufacturing Co.
changed its
corporate label to
the Phoenix Silk
Manufacturing Co.,
reflecting the
change in product
since Travers had
begun spinning
cotton under the
Phoenix title in
1825. In 1919,
Benard Grobart
bought Lots #1 and
#2 outright from
the Phoenix
company, and
secured their
lease on Lot #3.
Ownership of Lot
#3, once owned by
Roswell Colt, had
been divided up
among various
descendants:
eventually parts
passing through
the hands on men
such as August
Belmont, the
financier and head
of the American
office of the
House of
Rothschild, and
subsequently to
Lady Steele, widow
of General Sir
Thomas Montagu
Steele, K.C.B.
The entire #3 Lot
was acquired by
the New Jersey
General Security
Corporation in
1915
who sold it to the
SUM in 1930.
It
has recently been
restored into
government
subsidized housing
for artists and
musicians.
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