The Company town : architecture and society in the early industrial age

Built by industrialists whose early businesses contributed to the escalation of the Industrial Revolution, company towns flourished in countries that embraced capitalism and open-market trading. In many instances, the company town came to symbolize the wrecking of the environment, especially in places associated with extractive industries such as mining and lumber milling. Some resident industrialists, however, took a genuine interest in the welfare of their work forces, and in a number of instances hired architects to provide a model environment. Overtaken by time, these towns were either abandoned or caught up in suburban growth. The most thorough-going and only international assessment of the company town, this collection of essays by specialists and authorities of each region offers a balanced account of architectural and social history and provides a better understanding of the architectural and urban experiences of the early industrial age. Company Towns - Those Associated With Textiles, Mining, Or Tool Manufacturing, For Example - Are Found Worldwide And Have Been In Existence For Many Centuries. But With The Coming Of The Industrial Revolution, What Had Been Isolated Instances Of Town Building Became A Veritable Phenomenon. With Explosive Growth, Virtually Hundreds Of Them Appeared In The Western World Until About The Time Of The Great Depression, With Development Most Intensive And Homogenous In Europe And The Americas. Although The Technological Experience Of The Industrial Revolution Has Been Widely Chronicled And The Stories Of Misplaced Banking And Exploited Labor Well Documented, Until Now The Actual Settings Of Company Towns And The Overall Achievement In Industrial Architecture And Town Planning Have Been Largely Ignored. The Company Town Describes The Concurrent Development And Building Of Selected Towns In Europe And The Americas, Assessing Technical Advances In Factory Building, Worker Housing, And The Public Buildings That Owner-industrialists, In Their Capacity As Philanthropists, Bestowed Upon Such Towns. In Many Instances, The Company Town Came To Symbolize The Wrecking Of The Environment, Especially In Places Associated With Extractive Industries Such As Mining And Lumber Milling. Some Resident Industrialists, However, Took A Genuine Interest In The Welfare Of Their Work Forces, And In A Number Of Instances Hired Architects To Provide A Model Environment. Overtaken By Time, These Towns Were Either Abandoned Or Caught Up In Suburban Growth. The Most Thorough-going And Only International Assessment Of The Company Town, This Collection Of Essays By Specialists And Authorities Of Each Region Offers A Balanced Account Of Architectural And Social History And Provides A Better Understanding Of The Architectural And Urban Experiences Of The Early Industrial Age. Merthyr Tydfil And Early Ironworks In South Wales / Bruce Thomas -- Noisiel-sur-marne And The Ville Industrielle In France / John S. Garner -- The Company Town In Scandinavia / Mats Ahnlund, Lasse Brunnström -- Early New England Mill Towns Of The Piscataqua River Valley / Richard M. Candee -- Earle S. Draper And The Company Town In The American South / Margaret Crawford -- Company Towns In The Western United States / Leland M. Roth -- Company Towns Of Chile And Argentina / Olga Paterlini De Koch. Edited By John S. Garner. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [233]-241) And Index. Contents......Page 8 Introduction......Page 12 I: COMPANY TOWNS IN EUROPE AND SCANDINAVIA......Page 24 1. Merthyr Tydfil and Early Ironworks in South Wales......Page 26 2. Noisiel-sur-Marne and the Ville Industrielle in France......Page 52 3. The Company Town in Scandinavia......Page 84 II: COMPANY TOWNS IN NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA......Page 118 4. Early New England Mill Towns of the Piscataqua River Valley......Page 120 5. Earle S. Draper and the Company Town in the American South......Page 148 6. Company Towns in the Western United States......Page 182 7. Company Towns of Chile and Argentina......Page 216 Bibliography......Page 242 G......Page 252 N......Page 253 Z......Page 254 Company towns - those associated with textiles, mining, or tool manufacturing, for example - can be found worldwide and from antiquity to the present. But with the Industrial Revolution what had been the isolated incidence of such towns became a building phenomenon. This book describes and compares in seven essays the concurrent development and building of selected towns in Europe and the Americas A survey of those towns traditionally associated with textiles, mining or tool manufacturing, particularly those which sprang up during the Industrial Revolution. The text describes and compares the concurrent development of selected towns in Europe and North America. By the sixteenth century iron making and shipbuilding had seriously depleted the wood supply in the two great southern English woodlands, the Weald near London and the Forest of Dean near the Welsh border.