48 (later 133) Harvey Street—first mill
125 Herman Street—second mill
6139 Germantown Avenue—third mill (present building)
Philadelphia PA 19144
© Harold E. Spaulding,
Workshop of the
World (Oliver Evans Press, 1990).
Vincent Perry emigrated from
England in 1855 and began a weaving business in 1856 on
Miller (later changed to Sheldon) Street.
1
After his nephew,
James Radford Kendrick arrived in Philadelphia in 1874,
the company became known as Perry and Kendrick,
Stockings, at 48 Harvey Street (later and presently 133
Harvey Street). Their business operated in a 15' x 30'
two story brick mill, built at the rear of the property,
and presently a lovely cottage. When Vincent Perry died
in 1882, the company continued under James Kendrick's
direction. 2
In 1904, James
Kendrick incorporated the business with his four sons and
six years later, he died.
The company moved to an interim home at 125 Herman Street
in 1915. This structure was later demolished and
rowhouses built in its place. No known descriptions of
the Herman Street site survive except for a newspaper
article that listed 50 knitting machines and 15 sewing
machines in 1917. 3
In 1919, the firm moved to a new, modern, three story
brick mill building on Germantown Avenue at Pastorius
Street. In 1925, the company's growth necessitated the
erection of a major addition at the rear of the building.
Today, the company is still in business, producing
surgical garments, elastic bandages, and medical trusses.
The present mill on Germantown Avenue was designed to
contain leased shops on the first floor (which was
indicative of the conservative nature of the owners to be
able to withstand slowdowns in sales of their products);
presently, it houses Kendricks' local offices and
contains one hand-operated flat knitting frame, and
several circular-head knitting machines, powered from
line shafts with flat belt leather pulleys, driven by an
electric motor. In 1917, James R. Kendricks' Company
boasted over 70 employees; at present, there are about 17
employees.
In October 1989, the firm was purchased by Lesley Emil
DeVine, Jr. Its new name is the Kendrick Company,
Inc.
1 1856 Philadelphia City
Directory and 1856 U.S. Naturalization Records, on file
at the Germantown Historical Society.
2 Fergus Perry, mentioned
in the description of Phillips Knitting Mill on Wakefield
Street, was the son of Vincent Perry. The property
remained in family possession until a female Perry died
in the dwelling c.1982. The abandoned property was
bulldozed by the summer 1989. Fergus manufactured elastic
cords from 1884 on. Prior to that, he made elastic
stockings.
3 Taken from the E.C.
Jellett Scrapbook of newspaper clippings,
"Industries,
Graveyards, Firehouses," dated 1917, at the Germantown
Historical Society.
Update May
2007 (by
Linny Schenk & Michael Parrington):
The brick mill building is
currently occupied on the ground floor by small
commercial establishments (a dance studio and a chair and
table rental operation). A banner advertising loft space
for rent in “Kendrick Mill" drapes the front of the
building. The platform for the water tank still sits atop
the rear fire tower.