Huge Abandoned Building around Broad and Erie - Page 6 - PhillyBlog

sMichael · #51 (**permalink**) 09-03-2008, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PJB123139

The building you are referring to was at one time the manufacturing site of Botany 500, located on the corner of Broad and Lehigh Aves. During the approximate time frame 1955 thru 1985, Botany was the largest domestic, ready-made men's clothing manufacturer in the USA. There were over 800 employees in the building who manufactured over 20,000 suits per week. The clothing produced was mid-quality and was the finest product of its kind produced. Botany was bought out by the owners of Segram's Distilleries. The city of Philadelphia, like many other cities, saw the loss of many of its manufacturing firms go to foriegn competitors because of lower labor costs.
Botany in it's hayday produced clothing for many notable sports figures, movie stars and TV celebrities. Check out Botany 500 on www.google.com
Hope the info is useful.

Except the minor little fact that the building you're talking about and the building north of Broad & Erie--the Beury Building, although I have no idea why or when it was built or who occupied it--are two completely different buildings.

BTW, one of them ought to be rehabbed for Temple dorms; both Main Campus and Med School ones at Botany 500 and Med School ones only at Beury (more-or-less solves the transportation problem, too).

theatergypsy · #52 (**permalink**) 09-03-2008, 08:05 PM

Built 1926 as National Bank of North Philadelphia. Art Deco style. On the National Historic Register. Lot of google hits - many with photos.

Scarecrow · #53 (**permalink**) 09-09-2008, 07:22 PM

A major issue that nobody on here mentioned, that i think is a major killer in any development ideas is the buildings structural state. The top few floors are on the verge of caving in on themselves, and once that happens it will put a huge strain on the rest of the building. Not to mention years of water damage from all the broken windows and copper scrappers that have basically gutted the entire building...