Tangier in Accomack County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Old Shirt Factory
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, August 13, 2017
1. Old Shirt Factory Marker
Factory Road was originally named New Road. It is said to have been built by Henry Frazier, a Black man, by hand, around the time of the Civil War. In 1919, George Lawson of Crisfield, MD in association with the Kegan, Grace & W. Shirt Makers Guild located a shirt factory near the bridge to take advantage of the water transportation. Via Big Gut and Cod Harbor, raw material and finished product could be loaded onto boats and taken to market in Baltimore. The factory was managed by W. Harrison Crockett, employed 60 women and turned out 125 dozen shirts a day.
In 1927, the factory was burnt in what legend holds was arson, committed by men who were against their wives working in the factory. All that remains today is part of the concrete foundation.
(caption)
Shirt Factory Foundation - Kaye, 2006
Erected by Tangier History Museum & Interpretive Cultural Center.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles • Women. In addition, it is included in the Virginia, Tangier History Museum & Interpretive Cultural Center series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1919.
Location. 37° 49.249′ N, 75° 59.721′
this page online
Regionally, this marker is on the Eastern Shore. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, on the Delmarva Peninsula, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Tangier Treasures (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Wading Birds (about 400 feet away); The Miss Minnie & Capt. Charlie Pruitt House (about 400 feet away); Hoistin' Bridge (about 500 feet away); Muddy Toes (about 700 feet away); Banty's Wharf (approx. 0.2 miles away); Tangier Beach (approx. 0.2 miles away); Tangier Volunteer Fire Department (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tangier.
Also see . . . Tangier History Museum and Interpretive Cultural Center. Find Your Chesapeake website entry (Submitted on August 14, 2017.)
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 9, 2026
2. Old Shirt Factory Marker
The marker has weathered and defaced.
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, August 13, 2017
3. Old Shirt Factory Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 14, 2017, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 824 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 14, 2017, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 2. submitted on May 10, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on August 14, 2017, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
