Collection Name
Collection Name
About
About
Williamsport
Business along the canal
Media Items
ItemID
wcco064
IDEntry
5797
Rights
Public domain
Date
1889-06-03
Collection Location
C&O National Historic Park
Coverage
Maryland, 1824-1938
Body
The DeFrehn Chair Factory made multiple wooden chair styles and was located on the berm side of the canal above the Conococheague Aqueduct in Williamsport. The factory paid the canal for water rents in order to power the machines used to create the chairs. In 1889, a flood destroyed the factory along with a good portion of the canal. The cost to rebuild and recover from the flood was too expensive and the owners decided to move the operation to Johnstown, PA then Hornerstown, PA.
This image of the DeFrehn Chair factory was taken after the 1889 flood.
Notes
Mile 99.6
See also The Flood at Home, Hagerstown Mail, June 6, 1889.