Nelson Aerials - Garrett Snuff Mills at Yorklyn, DE (color corrected and annotated)
Name/Title
Nelson Aerials - Garrett Snuff Mills at Yorklyn, DE (color corrected and annotated)Entry/Object ID
FIC.003.0007(a)(c)Description
Nelson Aerials - Garrett Snuff Mills at Yorklyn, DE (color corrected and annotated) At the Upper Mills in 1960, much of the original snuff complex was still standing at the site. Seen are the original 1845, 1860, and 1877 snuff mills (1, 2, 3), as well as the 1893 Annex (6). Another snuff mill (5), Mill No. 5, had been a product warehouse for National Vulcanized Fibre since the mill’s sale to the company in 1920, and remained so in 1960. By 1960, the most expansive company at Upper Mills was the Yorklyn Mushroom Co. (7, 8, 11), who used large warehouses A (7), D (8), and E (11) for raising mushrooms, a popular local crop. Spatz Fiberglass occupied warehouse B (9) making dune buggy bodies and for a while ‘Clackers’. Spitz Planetarium, still in business in Chadds Ford, PA operated primarily out of twin warehouse C (10). Spitz also constructed a large dome (13) for the testing and sales of their newest consumer planetariums. The old carpentry shop (12), recognizable as the current home of Dew Point Brewing Company, was little used in 1960. Labeled in the image is the long-lost community of “Yorklyn Wedge” (14), a small enclave of houses in a small area of land between the Garrett company’s railroad siding, the railroad itself, and the creek. Also labeled is the Yorklyn Public School (15), still a center of local public education in 1960. Today, we now know this complex as the home of the Center for the Creative Arts (CCA).Photograph Details
Type of Photograph
35mm slides, color (digitally color-corrected)Collection
FAH Slide CollectionMade/Created
Artist Information
Paul Nelson
Robert Wilhelm, Jr
Elliott Warburton