One from a while back.
The Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company was a huge, prosperous manufacturer of footwear located in the souther tier of Upstate New York. Their headquarters, and almost all of their factories, were located across the 'Triple Cities' area encompassing Binghamton, Johnson City and Endicott. The many factories have long since closed down, with the E.J. Footwear brand now belonging to a subsidiary of Rocky Shoes & Boots based out of Ohio.
The Endicott-Johnson Corporation began life in 1890 following the sale of another shoe company to Henry Bradford Endicott, who in 1899 made George F. Johnson his business partner. The entire community, later city of Endicott was planned around the shoe factories to provide the workers a place to live. By the 1920s there were 20,000 workers spread across the factories, and come the outbreak of the Second World War for the USA it swelled to even greater numbers as the factory was tasked with producing military footwear, up to 52 million pairs a year. During the 1950s the company went into a slow decline, and outside management was brought in for the first time in 1957. By 1968 the various tanneries had closed, the workers hospital closed it's doors in 1969 (it later became a day care center for Binghamton's State Asylum) and over time the manufacturing plants all closed, with the last one shutting down in 1998.
Nowadays most of the factories have been torn down or converted into alternate uses. The former headquarters now houses a church, and since my visit here more of the vacant factories have been either torn down or are being refurbished including both of the ones I managed to explore here. There is still one left totally derelict as far as I know and it's one I have my sights set on for next time I'm over there.
The first one we got into was a little disappointing, it was of a little later construction than the others and had been partially turned into an indoor skate park after closure, but this venture had then closed too. However hidden behind all the skate park bollocks were some nice industrial features.
The second one a short maybe minute walk away was known as the Sunrise Plant on the right of the photo below. It was much, much more original and although totally stripped had some lovely untouched decay. It's currently being converted into apartments along with it's sister building in the background.
Thanks for looking
The Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company was a huge, prosperous manufacturer of footwear located in the souther tier of Upstate New York. Their headquarters, and almost all of their factories, were located across the 'Triple Cities' area encompassing Binghamton, Johnson City and Endicott. The many factories have long since closed down, with the E.J. Footwear brand now belonging to a subsidiary of Rocky Shoes & Boots based out of Ohio.
The Endicott-Johnson Corporation began life in 1890 following the sale of another shoe company to Henry Bradford Endicott, who in 1899 made George F. Johnson his business partner. The entire community, later city of Endicott was planned around the shoe factories to provide the workers a place to live. By the 1920s there were 20,000 workers spread across the factories, and come the outbreak of the Second World War for the USA it swelled to even greater numbers as the factory was tasked with producing military footwear, up to 52 million pairs a year. During the 1950s the company went into a slow decline, and outside management was brought in for the first time in 1957. By 1968 the various tanneries had closed, the workers hospital closed it's doors in 1969 (it later became a day care center for Binghamton's State Asylum) and over time the manufacturing plants all closed, with the last one shutting down in 1998.
Nowadays most of the factories have been torn down or converted into alternate uses. The former headquarters now houses a church, and since my visit here more of the vacant factories have been either torn down or are being refurbished including both of the ones I managed to explore here. There is still one left totally derelict as far as I know and it's one I have my sights set on for next time I'm over there.
The first one we got into was a little disappointing, it was of a little later construction than the others and had been partially turned into an indoor skate park after closure, but this venture had then closed too. However hidden behind all the skate park bollocks were some nice industrial features.
The second one a short maybe minute walk away was known as the Sunrise Plant on the right of the photo below. It was much, much more original and although totally stripped had some lovely untouched decay. It's currently being converted into apartments along with it's sister building in the background.
Thanks for looking
