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New Orange Decorative Leather Co. New Orange, NJ

The New Orange Decorative Leather Company was one of the original "Big Four" factories that were built in the early days of the New Orange Industrial. The company's factory was located on the southern side of the Boulevard, adjacent to the railroad. The company's operation was devoted to the manufacture of leather chair backs. Carload shipments were made via the New York & New Orange Railroad and its successors. The company was organized as early as 1898, but operations did not begin in earnest until 1901. The following was mentioned of the company in 1902, "In operation 6 months, building about 175 ft. x 75 ft. Fancy seats and backs for chairs and benches are made by this Company out of scraps of leather. The volume of this business is the same inbound and outbound." It was estimated in 1902 that this company moved about 3,000 tons of freight annually via the railroad. New Orange Decorative Leather apparently did not have much success in the chair back industry, as the company was declared obsolete by the state after taxes went unpaid. The vacant plant then became occupied by a machine shop and was then unoccupied by 1905. The plant of the New Orange Decorative Leather Co. is visible in this view, although partially obscured by the plant of Charles E. Wright Manufacturing Co. Note the canopy over the loading dock, adjacent to the railroad tracks. Collection of Don Maxton. Rahway Valley Railroad Customer Profile Name: New Orange Decorative Leather Co. Location: Boulevard New Orange, N.J.  Years of Operation: 1898-1906 (corporate) 1901-c.1904 (manufacturing) Nature of Business: Manufacture of leather chair backs Shipments via RV: Scrap leather, inbound Finished chair backs, outbound RR Siding? Uncertain, it appears on maps that no siding was constructed to the plant. In a photo a canopy over what appears to be a loading dock of some sort is visible. If there was no siding, cars might have been spotted on the main track which ran adjacent to the building. Notes: Member of the original "Big Four" of the New Orange Industrial Association.

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