Keasbey and Mattison Company

Keasbey and Mattison Company was a manufacturing company that produced asbestos and related building products before being purchased by Turner & Newall in 1934. The company was founded in 1873 by Henry G. Keasbey, a businessman, and Dr. Richard V. Mattison, a chemist/pharmacist. The company originally manufactured and marketed patent medicines before focusing on asbestos and related building products.[1]

History

Mattison moved the company from Philadelphia to Ambler, Pennsylvania, in 1881.[2] Working in a company laboratory, Mattison discovered that milk of magnesia would adhere to a hot metal pipe, and when mixed asbestos and other heat-resistant products, could be turned into an insulation material for steam pipes.[1] Asbestos and related building products soon became the focus of the company.

Keasbey and Mattison became the dominant employer of the town of Ambler and had a major impact on it. Mattison built an estate he named Lindenwold, which had a design based on Windsor Castle.[1] He also built many homes for the company's workers and executives. He founded a library and built an opera house, offices and shops.

The company bought the historical Hope Lodge property from Mary Wentz in 1921 for $40,000. They intended to extend an already functioning limestone quarry.[3]

In 1934, the company was sold to English company Turner & Newall.[4] T&N operated the plant until 1962. In that same year, the property was purchased by CertainTeed Corporation and Nicolet Industries and divided in two. Both companies produced asbestos products and auto parts at this location.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "The Keasbey & Mattison Company". Ambler Main Street. http://www.amblermainstreet.org/Ambler_ThenAndNow/Keasbey-Mattison.htm. Retrieved 25 August 2010. 
  2. ^ Griffenhagen, George B.; Bogard, Mary (1999). History of drug containers and their labels. American Institute of the History of Pharmacy. p. 86. ISBN 9780931292262. http://books.google.com/books?id=N4N9bsxc2LYC&pg=PA86&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  3. ^ Treese, Lorett (2001). Hope Lodge and Mather Mill. Stackpole Books. ISBN 9780811724715. http://books.google.com/books?id=ZTE1WIE6iIAC&pg=PA10&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  4. ^ Wilkins, Mira (2004). The history of foreign investment in the United States, 1914-1945. Harvard University Press. p. 394. ISBN 9780674013087. http://books.google.com/books?id=iRqI37ouGLEC&pg=PA394&dq=#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  5. ^ "National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan; National Priorities List". Federal Register (U.S Government Printing Office) 61 (173). 5 September 1996. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1996-09-05/pdf/96-22378.pdf..