Ashley and Bailey Company Silk Mill, Industrial heritage site in West York, Pennsylvania, United States.
Ashley and Bailey Company Silk Mill is a three-story brick factory with a stone foundation, a shallow gable roof, and an L-shaped tower at one corner spanning about thirteen bays in length. The rectangular structure reflects the straightforward industrial design typical of late 1800s manufacturing buildings.
The mill opened in 1899 and marked York's entry into silk production, putting the town in competition with established textile centers. In 1914, new ownership under B. Edmund David changed its focus and renamed it Franklin Silk Mill.
The mill demonstrates how textile manufacturers moved away from crowded cities to smaller towns where labor was easier to find and operating costs lower. This shift reshaped how people worked and lived in rural Pennsylvania.
The building sits on West Princess Street and has stood empty since the 1980s, so you can view it from the outside today. Future renovation plans may affect access, so check ahead before visiting.
The mill began by producing ribbons using weaving looms, then shifted to making broader silk fabrics. This change in focus reveals how factories adapted their output to meet shifting market demands.
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