Footer's Dye Works, historic industrial building in Cumberland, Maryland
Footer's Dye Works is a large four-story brick building constructed in 1906 in Cumberland. The factory occupies most of a city block and once housed a cleaning operation that used steam methods to process clothes, curtains, and textiles.
Thomas Footer, an English immigrant, founded the business in 1870 and built it into one of the city's two largest cleaning operations. After his death in 1923, his sons continued the work, but the emergence of dry cleaning methods, the Great Depression, and a major flood in 1936 led to bankruptcy.
Footer's Dye Works was a major employer that shaped Cumberland's identity as an industrial center. The business employed up to 500 people and became woven into the daily life of the community during the early 20th century.
The building is best explored on foot, located centrally on a city block with prominent brick architecture visible from the street. Allow time to view the exterior facade and the massive factory structure, as interior access may not always be available to visitors.
The company served clients as far away as the White House, cleaning and dyeing fine lace curtains for the presidential residence, reflecting its national reputation. After bankruptcy in 1936, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond purchased the building, which then housed Army Reserve units and other businesses for decades.
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