The Stehli Silk Mill is another example of a successful historic tax credit project in Pennsylvania. This latest installment of “Historic Tax Credits @ Work” highlights how a silk mill complex can be thoughtfully rehabilitated and reused as residential and commercial space. Today, the now Lofts at Stehli Silk Mill are again reviving a location that supports the surrounding community and reminds us of its great history.
The Stehli Silk Mill
The Stehli Silk Mill (PA-SHARE Resource # 2013RE00811), located at 701 Martha Avenue, Lancaster, PA and constructed between 1897-1925, is a multi-building industrial complex. Designed by local Lancaster architect C. Emlen Urban, the complex is constructed of heavy wood timber and steel structure with brick and stone masonry facades.
The new silk mill complex was built by Stehli & Co., a Swiss firm established in 1837 in Obfelden Switzerland, that focused on producing cotton, wool, and silk fabrics. Due to tariffs in 1897, that made importation of silk unprofitable, Robert Stehli and Max Froelicher-Stehli decided to established manufacturing operations in the United States. After a 20-city competition for the company’s new location, that offered the silk company enticements such as free land, free bricks, exemption from taxes, and free use of the railroad.
This aerial view, looking south toward Lancaster city, shows the Stehli Silk Mill on Martha Avenue. It is pictured in the 1929 book, “Mills of the Stehli Corporation.” Source: Lancaster Online.
The Lancaster Board of Trade closed the deal to establish a large silk mill in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The new mill was expected to have 1,000 looms, which would make the business one of the largest in the country. The silk production at the new location began in July 1898 and by 1922, Stehli & Co. reached their plan goals with 1,100 looms and was the only U.S. operation until 1902 when the company erected another weaving mill in High Point, North Carolina.
The photo shows part of the winding department at the Stehli Silk Mill on Martha Avenue in Lancaster. It is pictured in the 1929 book, “Mills of the Stehli Corporation.” Source: Lancaster Online.
Stehli & Co.’s Impact
Stehli & Co. was ranked in the top tier of silk manufacturers and was one of the premier silk producers in the country. Along with the common mid-range plain weaves and prints that were for the middle and upper working class, Stehli and its companion companies produced quality plain and fancy goods for the high-end markets such as fashion houses, custom made clothiers, and upper-end ready to wear shops.
Many of these top tier silk producers avoided weighted dyes and used reel silk from whole cocoons rather than spun silk from broken cocoons on its high-end products. They also had showrooms in New York City and kept close connections with the fashion houses in New York and Paris. Throwing and finishing facilities, in-house design centers, and vigorous advertising were other aspects that became very important in highlighting their fashion, quality, and superior products.
From 1925 to 1927 Stehli produced the “Americana Prints”, a piece of work that was known to be a watershed in American fabric design history. American Prints edition dominated silk pattern design in the late 1920s and boosted annual sales to $25,000,000. Stehli & Co. outlasted the Depression, but in 1930s, they added production of synthetics to its weaving facilities. After World War II, they moved entirely to synthetics within their southern mill and in 1954 the Lancaster plant was closed. Soon after, the property was attained by Radio Corporation of America (RCA) in 1955 and later was purchased by Conestoga Warehouse Corporation in 2004 as a storage facility.
This is the ladies’ dining room during lunch hour at the Stehli Silk Mill on Martha Avenue in Lancaster. It is pictured in the 1929 book, “Mills of the Stehli Corporation.” Source: Lancaster Online.
Property Rehabilitation Begins
In 2007 the current owner attained the once thriving silk mill complex, and seven years after, the property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 29, 2014, under Criteria A for areas of industry with a Period of Significance between 1897-1954.
This historical status allowed the proposed reuse project to be a participant in the Federal and State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program as a positive factor in the overall project financing.
West elevation, Pre-rehabilitation. Source: Bonnie Wilkinson Mark, Delta Development Group, Inc..
East and south elevations, Boiler House, Pre-rehabilitation. Source: Bonnie Wilkinson Mark, Delta Development Group, Inc..
Pre-rehabilitation. Source: Bonnie Wilkinson Mark, Delta Development Group, Inc..
Boiler House, Pre-rehabilitation. Source: Bonnie Wilkinson Mark, Delta Development Group, Inc..
Between 2021-2026, Stehli Mill LLС got underway with a $48.9 million rehabilitation project of the vacant silk mill building complex.
Exterior work focused on preserving the building’s historic materials and character-defining features. This included:
- insertion of new landscape features,
- retain-repoint-clean-repair of existing brick-stone masonry
- replacement of existing windows
- retain-repair-replace in-kind of existing doors
- insertion of new door openings with new canopies
- addition of new storefront glazing within existing openings
- installation of new signage
- construction of new vertical circulation addition
- installation of new mechanical equipment on rooftop
On the interior, work completed consisted of:
- retain-repair in-kind of existing wood floors
- insertion of new partitions-door opening-stairs-elevators
- retain-repair in-kind of existing doors and stairs
- insertion of new finishes-features
- retain in-kind of existing exposed wood structure components
- insertion of new exposed MEP systems.
The proposed rehabilitation project went through successfully and the project received Part 3 certification from NPS on June 22, 2026, as the completed work met the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
The project has also received $325,000 for PA Historic Preservation Tax Credit allocation from DCED for FY 2023-2024.
West elevation, Post-rehabilitation. Source: Bonnie Wilkinson Mark, Delta Development Group, Inc..
East and south elevations, Boiler House, Post-rehabilitation. Source: Bonnie Wilkinson Mark, Delta Development Group, Inc..
Mill No. 5, 1st Floor, Unit 1107. Source: Bonnie Wilkinson Mark, Delta Development Group, Inc..
Boiler House, First Floor, Looking north towards the entry to Mill Nos. 1 and 2. Source: Bonnie Wilkinson Mark, Delta Development Group, Inc..
Post Rehabilitation
The past prosperous industrial complex has been renovated and is now being reused as residential and commercial spaces. The now Lofts at Stehli Silk Mill are again reviving a location that supports the surrounding community and reminds us of its great history.
The Federal and State historic tax credit programs help to maintain and highlight the past and give these sometimes-forgotten buildings a new home in today’s world.
The Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office is grateful to the property owners, partners, and supporters who make projects like this possible.
Comment Policy
PHMC welcomes and encourages topic-related comments on this blog. PHMC reserves the right to remove comments that in PHMC’s discretion do not follow participation guidelines.
Commenters and Comments shall be related to the blog post topic and respectful of others who use this site.
Commenters and Comments shall not: use language that is offensive, inflammatory or provocative (this includes, but is not limited to, using profanity, obscene, or vulgar comments); disparage other commenters or people; condone illegal activity; identify the location of known or suspected archeological sites; post personal information in comments such as addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses or other contact details, which may relate to you or other individuals; impersonate or falsely claim to represent a person or an organization; make any commercial endorsement or promotion of any product, service or publication.
If you would like to comment on other topics not related to this blog post but related to PHMC, please fill out the PHMC Contact Us Form.
Leave a Reply