By Paul Lubienecki, PhD
Above: A street view image of the old factory on Chandler St.
This article is a continuation in exploring the historical narrative of Black Rock’s industrial legacy. There are two parts to this particular account of the Buffalo Weaving and Belting Company. First we will examine the company itself and in the next newsletter detail the manufacturing and operations at the factory.
From the time of the Erie Canal’s construction Black Rock and the city of Buffalo had a contentious economic relationship and the eventual “annexation” of Black Rock only aggravated this “friendship.” The industrial strength of Buffalo was in its steel and grain mills. Black Rock’s industrial might was more developed through significant manufacturing enterprises and extensive factories.
The Buffalo Weaving and Belting Company was one such business. Founded as the Chase and Mathewson Company in April 1891 it was rebranded as the Buffalo Weaving and Belting Company in 1903 as the company increased its product lines. George Mathewson, a founding partner of the company, was president until his death in 1943.
The factory and office were located at 190-252 Chandler Street occupying a large tract of land in the industrial heart of Black Rock on a connecting spur to the Belt Line railroad yards. This location was perfectly suited for receiving rail shipments of raw goods and sending finished products to customers throughout the world. Buffalo was a rail and transportation hub at this time making freight costs considerably lower here than elsewhere.
Above: A street map showing the location of the Buffalo Weaving and Belting Co. on Chandler St.
Located in Black Rock the company benefitted from a motivated labor force of newly arrived immigrants and native born Americans. Workers, utilizing the Belt Line rail system, commuted to the factory from various parts of Buffalo. The employees consisted mostly of skilled workers of German and Polish descent and also employed all the various nationalities living in Black Rock and beyond. The company found a reliable work force and there is no record of any labor strife at the factory even though salaries were lower here than elsewhere in the nation. The total number of employees varied over the years yet averaged out to around 200 annually. Because of the company’s fair labor practices it was not uncommon for second and third generations of the same family to work there.
The factory buildings, as well as its architect, were of historical importance. Initially at 15,000 square feet, factory expansion was necessary as the product line developed. The design of the new facility to 100,000 square feet was done by Jennie Louise Blanchard Bethune. Born in Waterloo, NY in 1856 her family later moved to Buffalo. She was the first woman to attend Cornell University’s new architecture program. In October 1881, she opened her own practice and former colleagues Robert Bethune and William Fuchs later joined her. The city was rapidly growing because of the economic boom and the firm designed many types of buildings: institutional, commercial, industrial.
The most significant of Bethune, Bethune & Fuchs’ factories from the 19th Century was the Buffalo Weaving and Belting Company factory. It was constructed in the Flemish Renaissance Revival Style as a one-story brick structure typical of 19th century factory design. It was composed of one very long and narrow structure which was the most economical to build and allowed for the most natural light.
The factory complex expanded over a 25 year period from 1891 to 1916. It occupied a continuous quarter mile long sequence of contiguous buildings, in the form of a single story horizontal work shed construction, unique in a time of multi-story factory buildings. This design proved more efficient as product components moved along the assembly line much quicker. The plant eventually became a 240,000 square foot facility on 12 acres of land by 2003.
The company initially manufactured woven cotton harnesses for horse drawn transportation. As Buffalo Weaving grew it developed various new product lines to meet the needs of the customer. Originally products were fabricated for individuals but through the years the company’s primary clients were industrial and even military users. These products included transmission belts for Ford’s automobiles, parachute harnesses for the military, arrestor belts used on aircraft carriers, and conveyer belts used in mining, factories and agriculture. The main products were powertrain belts. These were large belts connected to a rotating wheel above the factory floor that supplied power to the machines below through this system.
Buffalo Weaving and Belting underwent a series of ownership changes from the 1980s to 2003. This was emblematic of the national and local economies. The company’s debt soared but still had a stable work force of about 230 employees and work orders from both civilian and military customers. But work was outsourced to areas with cheaper labor and overhead costs. Under new ownership and with only 30 unionized workers, the company was unable to pay off a $600,000 debt in 2000 and finally closed its doors in January 2003. A massive fire in April 2003 destroyed the complex on Chandler Street. Due to toxic and hazardous materials at the former factory it was listed by the EPA as a superfund site for remediation work. The property currently is covered with a thick cap of clay and stone open to restricted usage. A detailed account of how the Buffalo Weaving and Belting Company manufactured and produced their various items continues with the next BRHS newsletter.