American Car and Foundry woodwork
Creation: circa 1924Abstract
American Car and Foundry Company is a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock and railcar parts, founded in 1899. In the company's early years, American Car and Foundry Company constructed its railcars from wood. Additionally, the company engaged in architectural millwork for buildings. This collection features twenty-five copy photographs of building interiors and exteriors with emphasis on wooden architectural elements.
Dates
- Creation: circa 1924
Creator
- American Car and Foundry Company (Organization)
Extent
25 item(s)
Physical Description
25 photographic copy prints: b&w; 8 x 10 in.
Historical Note
American Car and Foundry Company is a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock and railcar parts, founded in 1899 as the result of a merger among thirteen railroad carbuilding companies, including St. Charles Car Manufacturing Company. In the company's early years, American Car and Foundry Company constructed its railcars from wood.
In 1901, American Car and Foundry Company began leasing the facilities of railroad rolling stock and shipbuilding manufacturer the Jackson and Sharp Company. The plant was located on the Brandwine River in Wilmington, Delaware. In 1911, American Car and Foundry Company purchased the plant. While the main products were railroad rolling stock, they continued to produced watercraft out of both wood and steel. Additionally, the company engaged in architectural millwork for buildings. The patterned woodwork components would be fabricated by milling at the plant and then installed. The millwork could either be decorative or functional and often was designed by achitects or interior designers. The millwork could also be on the exterior or the interior of the buildings.
By 1904 the first all-steel passenger car ever ordered from a car builder left American Car and Foundry Company former Berwick, Pennsylvania shop. It was the first of a shipment of 300 similar cars built for New York City's pioneer subway, the Interborough Rapid Transit Company. By 1906, American Car and Foundry Company opened steel shops at St. Louis, Detroit, Berwick, Huntington, and Madison, Illinois. American Car and Foundry Company's reputation rapidly spread abroad and in 1905 more than 100 motor and trailer subway cars were shipped to England for use in London's underground system.
In the 1930s the Jackson and Sharp plant ceased manufacturing railcars and wooden shipbuilding ended in 1938. American Car and Foundry Company's Jackson and Sharp plant continued to build steel ships until 1950 and sold the plant in 1952.
In 1955, the company changed its name to ACF Industries, Incorporated. In 1962, the Berwick plant closed. The company name changed again in 2003 to ACF Industries, LLC. It still is a leading American manufacturer of railcars and railcar parts. Its manufacturing plant is in Milton, Pennsylvania.
Historical note reference from ACF website (http://www.acfindustries.com/history.asp)
Scope and Content
This collection features twenty-five copy photographs from slides owned by Dr. and Mrs. Allen Schiek. Information pertaining to buildings was obtained from a borrowed copy of the Schiek Collection's 'American Car and Foundry Co., Architectural Woodwork,' a book published in Wilmington, Delaware. The book is limited edition custom album, in which the photographs are mounted on cloth and inserted in a looseleaf binder; labels on backing identify subject, architect and builder. Stamped inside front and back covers: American Car & Foundry Co., Jackson & Sharp Plant, Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.
Photographs depict building interiors and exteriors with emphasis on wooden architectural elements. Names of architects and builders are included. Buildings include: Seventy-seven Hall, Princeton University; Henry Dormitory, Princeton University; Dining Hall, Princeton University; Graduate School, Princeton University; Cap & Gown Club, Princeton University; Irenne du Pont Residence, Granogue, Delaware; Old College Hall, University of Delaware; Wilmington Public Library, Wilmington, Delaware; Pierre S. du Pont Residence, Longwood, Pennsylvania; Martin Residence, Great Neck, Long Island; Hoyts Residence, Southampton, Long Island; Auditorium, Carnegie Technical Schools; and St. John's Chapel, Wilmington, Delaware. The twenty-sixth image was not printed: Wilmington High School; Builders: A.S. Reed & Bro. Co., Wilmington, Delaware.
Location
GL Box 1
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions
This collection is available for use only by permission of Holders of Schiek Collection.
Language of Materials
English
Additional Description
Provenance
Copy photographs created from original slides, which Dr. & Mrs. Allen G. Shchiek still own.
Subjects
Finding Aid & Administrative Information
- Title:
- American Car and Foundry woodwork
- Author:
- Chase Markee
- Date:
- 2013
- Description rules:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description:
- English
- Script of description:
- Latin
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Audiovisual Collections Repository
