Series XXIV: Land and Real Estate, 1923 - 1945
Series
Series contains real estate transaction records comprised of deeds, correspondence, and maps.These records document the purchase, sale, and transfer of various types of property by Hamilton and it's predacessor companies.
Dates
- 1923 - 1945
Language of Materials
English
Extent
From the File: 42 Linear Feet : 71 Boxes
Biographical / Historical
These records document the purchase, sale, and transfer of property beginning with C Bitner’s sale of land to the Adams & Perry Watch Co. in 1874. By 1875, the company had constructed a factory but could not sustain itself and closed in 1876. Establishment and bankruptcy of several iterations of the same company followed: Lancaster Pennsylvania Watch Company, Lancaster Pennsylvania Watch Company, Limited, and Lancaster Watch Company, which then became Lancaster Watch Company, Inc.
In 1884, Abram Bitner purchased and changed the name to Keystone Standard Watch Co., which was then renamed to Keystone Standard Watch Company. After several years, Keystone met the same financial fate as it’s predacessors and closed in 1891. The property was auctioned off and purchased by a group of businessmen, which included individuals from the bankrupt Aurora Watch Company of Illinois. In 1892, Aurora merged with this group to establish Hamilton Watch Company.
Throughout the decades that followed, Hamilton constructed additions, renovated parts of the original factory, and purchased property outside of the factory complex. In 1980, Hamilton moved out of the factory and was renamed Hamilton Technology Inc. Proposals to convert the building into an apartment complex began in 1981 but did not come to fruition until 1998 when the property was sold to Baltimore based developers.
Throughout the decades that followed, Hamilton constructed additions, renovated parts of the original factory, and purchased property outside of the factory complex. In 1980, Hamilton moved out of the factory and was renamed Hamilton Technology Inc. Proposals to convert the building into an apartment complex began in 1981 but did not come to fruition until 1998 when the property was sold to Baltimore based developers.
Creator
- From the File: Hamilton Watch Company (Organization)
- From the File: Shubrooks, George E. (Contributor, Person)
- From the File: Drescher, Ernest W. (Contributor, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the NAWCC Library and Research Center Archives Repository