Washburn Wire Factory (site of)
About This Listing
Place Details
- Borough: Manhattan
- Neighborhood: East Harlem
- Categories: Industrial, Manufacturing
Place Matters Profile
At its peak, this manufacturer of extruded wire employed 800 workers and ranked among the largest manufacturing plants in Manhattan. The three-block plant closed in the late 1970s and is slated for demolition as of 2004. A big-box development housing a Home Depot and Costco is proposed for the site. The Washburn Wire complex is located in the middle of East Harlem, which was one of the largest “little Italys” in the country in the early 1900s.
Nominations
Raymond Plumey
One of the largest employers in Manhattan in the 1960s. A satellite site of the inventors of wire products in the country. One of the last large industrial sites left in Manhattan. Slated for demolition to build a one-million square foot Home Depot, Costco and indoor parking. It is being considered for State and National Register listing.
