Scranton Lace Company

This place is on private property. Listing for informational purposes only. Please do not visit without express permission from the land owner. The Scranton Lace Company, also known as the Scranton Lace Curtain Company and Scranton Lace Curtain Manufacturing Company, was an American lace manufacturer in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The building is currently abandoned, but the property owners occasionally hold tours, many with a focus on photography. The company was established by the Scranton Board of Trade as the Scranton Lace Curtain Manufacturing Company in 1890 and was incorporated on June 15, 1897. The name Scranton Lace Company became standardized in 1916 when the Scranton Lace Curtain Manufacturing Company and one of its subsidiaries combined their operations. On May 13, 1958, the company changed its name to The Scranton Lace Corporation, but soon thereafter reverted to using the name The Scranton Lace Company as its official title. From 1916 to 2002 the company remained the first and largest known producer of Nottingham Lace in the United States. The company was the world leader in Nottingham lace and also produced tablecloths, napkins, valances, and shower curtains, among many other types of lace items. During the 1940s, the company teamed up with subsidiaries such as Victory Parachutes, Inc. and Sweeney Bros. to manufacture parachutes and camouflage netting. Though the company prospered well into the 1950s but risky investments involving Hal Roach Studios and the fledgling television industry placed the company in financial peril and eventually led to its closure in 2002. Despite the factory being one of area's biggest employers, it closed in 2002 with the company's vice president telling its employees, mid-shift, that the facility was closing "effective immediately". The facility featured a theater, bowling alley, gymnasium, infirmary, clock tower (that is a city landmark and has a Meneely cast iron bell) and other amenities.