Eddystone: A True Factory Town

Eddystone: A True Factory Town. . Originally part of Ridley Township, Eddystone was incorporated as a borough in 1880. First developed by the Simpson family in the 1870s as the home of their print works, the town's name was inspired by the Eddystone Lighthouse in Devon, England. The borough has been home to many industries over the years, including the Belmont Iron Works, Sun Shipbuilding and the Remington Arms Plant, which was built to make weaponry for World War I. However, Eddystone is probably best remembered by the two industries shown here., Eddystone Print Works , Established in Philadelphia in the 1840s, William Simpson and Sons moved their textile company to Eddystone in 1875, shortly after the expansion of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad. During its early years, the Borough of Eddystone was owned almost entirely by the Simpsons. They built many amenities for the company's workers including tenement housing and Lighthouse Hall (which contained a library and meeting room), and gave land for a park and for a school. The print works closed in 1963., [photo captions] , Above: When this image was printed in the late 19th or early 20th century, the Eddystone Print Works produced 22 million yards of finished cloth per week. , Background: This map from 1892 shows the factories, tenements and even the parkland (in green) provided for workers., Baldwin Locomotive Works , The Baldwin Locomotive Works was once a company with enormous influence on the railroad industry. In 1909, thc company, originally located in Philadelphia, began purchasing farmland in Eddystone from the Simpsons to move their massive operation. Over the years, thousands of locomotives were produced at the Baldwin plant in Eddystone. However, partly due to the company's slow acceptance of diesel technology over steam, Baldwin went out of business and the plant closed in 1956.

The Executive Office Building was completed in 1928 from a design by architects Simon and Simon. It has changed hands several times over the years following Baldwin's departure. The building continues to function as an office tower, as well as a reminder of the borough's industrial heritage., [photo captions] , Above: Postcards show Baldwin's shops (from Chester Pike), and Executive Office Building. , Below: A Philadelphia and Reading Railroad locomotive built by Baldwin., Print Works photo courtesy of the Delaware County Historical Society. Map courtesy of the Radnor Historical Society. Baldwin postcards and locomotive photo courtesy of the Keith Lockhart Collection., Pennsylvania , Department of Environmental , Protection