89 River Street
This contributing, massive mill building, which was constructed in 1896 for the Empire Shirt Company and J.P. Bauman and Sons, clearly communicates the role local industry and manufacturing played in the historic development of the community. The building features an overall planned symmetry with gable front design, paired windows, shed-roofed and gabled dormers and 1-story entry porch.
Empire Shirt Factory was established in 1879 by Louis Weinman and L. W. Emerson. In 1883 James Emerson, at the age of 19, became the sole owner. At that time the company employed about 100 hands and manu-factured about 25,000 dozen shirts per year. In 1891, J. P. Baumann & Son bought into the company, enlarged the building, and started producing ladies' shirtwaists. They employed a corps of skilled designers, pattern makers, cutters, pressers and sewers. In 1892 a three-story building was added along the river for use as a laundry (since demolished.) Most employees in the laundry were expected to be men and boys. By 1896, they were producing 500 dozen shirtwaists and 200 dozen robes daily, employing over 800 people. The showroom for J. P. Baumann & Sons was located in New York City. The Troy Company purchased the Empire Shirt Co. and continued manufacturing through the 1940s and into the early part of the 1970s. It became "The Outlet Barn,” selling clothing at discounted rates, and housed a variety of different shops. In 1965 the overpass linking the two structures was taking down. In recent years, Tom and Mark Grace purchased the main building and renovated it. It now houses a restaurant called Lizzie Keays Restaurant (after a shirt factory worker), an athletic club, a beauty parlor and office space. The building on the Schroon River, now part of the Grist Mill on the Schroon restaurant property, was used as an antique store for a few years, but as of this writing sits vacant.
This contributing, massive mill building, which was constructed in 1896 for the Empire Shirt Company and J.P. Bauman and Sons, clearly communicates the role local industry and manufacturing played in the historic development of the community. The building features an overall planned symmetry with gable front design, paired windows, shed-roofed and gabled dormers and 1-story entry porch.
Empire Shirt Factory was established in 1879 by Louis Weinman and L. W. Emerson. In 1883 James Emerson, at the age of 19, became the sole owner. At that time the company employed about 100 hands and manu-factured about 25,000 dozen shirts per year. In 1891, J. P. Baumann & Son bought into the company, enlarged the building, and started producing ladies' shirtwaists. They employed a corps of skilled designers, pattern makers, cutters, pressers and sewers. In 1892 a three-story building was added along the river for use as a laundry (since demolished.) Most employees in the laundry were expected to be men and boys. By 1896, they were producing 500 dozen shirtwaists and 200 dozen robes daily, employing over 800 people. The showroom for J. P. Baumann & Sons was located in New York City. The Troy Company purchased the Empire Shirt Co. and continued manufacturing through the 1940s and into the early part of the 1970s. It became "The Outlet Barn,” selling clothing at discounted rates, and housed a variety of different shops. In 1965 the overpass linking the two structures was taking down. In recent years, Tom and Mark Grace purchased the main building and renovated it. It now houses a restaurant called Lizzie Keays Restaurant (after a shirt factory worker), an athletic club, a beauty parlor and office space. The building on the Schroon River, now part of the Grist Mill on the Schroon restaurant property, was used as an antique store for a few years, but as of this writing sits vacant.
|
|
