Category:Adelaide Silk Mill, Allentown, Pennsylvania

In the late 1870s, Allentown's iron industry collapsed. It left the city economically depressed and to prevent this from happening again, efforts were made to develop a diversifed industrial base. Convincing the Phoenix Manufacturing Company to open a silk mill in Allentown was the first major success of that effort.

The Adelaide Silk Mill opened in Allentown at 333 West Court Street in 1881. When it opened, the city leaders had high hopes for the silk trade. With its many ancillary businesses, the silk industry became the largest in the city and remained so until the late 20th century. In his speech at the opening of the mill, Mayor Edwin G. Martin boasted of the many advantages Allentown had compared to other cities. Among those were cheap transportation, inexpensive energy costs, proximity to other major cities of the Northeast, clean water, and the many available workers in the city. the Adelaide Silk Mill became one of the largest producers of silk products in the United States.

By 1900, there were twenty-three silk establishments in Allentown, making Pennsylvania second only to New Jersey in silk production. By 1914 there were 26 mills in Allentown, which by 1928, when rayon was introduced became 85 mills. Over 10,000 people were employed in the Allentown silk industry at its height during the 1940s. These benefits would convince other industries to locate to Allentown over the following decades.

After that the Great Depression, increasing labor unrest, and competition from rayon began to affect the industry locally and nationally. During World War II the supply of silk disappeared because nearly all of it had been imported from Japan. After the war, new synthetic fibers, especially nylon, replaced silk in many garments and the plant began to produce clothing for major retailers such as Sears, Montgomery Ward, J. C. Penny and other brands. Phoenix Clothing remained in production until about 1985 until declaring bankruptcy citing foreign competition and lower manufacturing costs overseas. After closing, the building became a large storage facility. Current plans for the empty mill is for it to be totally renovated into a apartments