Sonneborn Building; Paca-Pratt Building

When completed in 1905, the Sonneborn Building was an impressive facility that inspired Baltimore residents and shaped the future of the garment industry. Erected by the Henry Sonneborn and Company, this building housed the first truly large-scale clothing factory in the United States, capable of producing 3,000 suits per day and employing 4,000 workers. The building offers a fine example of Neoclassical architecture and represents the development of early 20th-century industrial design, which emphasized open-plan layouts, natural light, and fireproof construction. The building is also significant for its association with the development of labor relations in Baltimore. The company created what became known as the "Sonneborn System," which greatly improved worker/management relations and became the model for the rest of the clothing industry. Additionally, the building is significant for its association with local Jewish history, as many Jewish immigrants got jobs at the factory when they first arrived in Baltimore. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, the building is now known as the Paca-Pratt Building and is a part of the University of Maryland Medical System.

German-Jewish immigrant Henry Sonneborn (1827-1917) founded the company in 1850. He was born in the German state of Hesse where his family had lived since 1650. As a teenager he worked in the fur industry with a brother, Jonus, and also bought and sold cattle. To escape persecution in Germany, they decided to sail to America in 1849, first arriving in Philadelphia then moving to Baltimore. Sonneborn was 23 at the time.

With little money on hand, he started as a wandering peddler selling novelties in Adams and York Counties in Pennsylvania, which were German settlements. He sent money back to his family and established the business (it began as a small men's clothing store) in 1850 in Fairmount, West Virginia. Sonneborn then opened stores in West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Ohio. Eventually he earned enough money to bring his family and girlfriend, Berthe, to America. They moved to Baltimore in 1853 and it appears he married Berthe by then. After Berthe died, Sonneborn got married for a second time to another German immigrant, Auguste. They had one son together, Henry Sonneborn Jr., who was born in 1890.

Sonneborn Sr.'s decision to build the factory revolutionized the clothing industry. It was the first in the country to house the entire clothing manufacturing process in one building, which was a novel idea at the time. Back then clothing was usually made in steps in different places. First, an entrepreneur would purchased a large amount of cloth then hire a cutter to cut the various pieces of a suit. These were then sent to different contractors who would sew each each part (pants, vest, and coat) in their own shops. In Sonneborn's factory, the contractors became the foreman and their former shop workers became company employees.

In terms of labor relations, Sonneborn established the first trade board in the industry to arbitrate disputes between management and workers. The factory was structured in a "Plan of Organization," which consisted of a "cabinet" of company owners, a "senate" of department heads or management, and a "congress" of workers. The factory was also one of the first to become a local charter of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU). In 1913, it became home of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers union, which broke off from the ILGWU that year. The company also provided a pension and an in-house medical department. The company conducted regular fire drills as well. By the mid-1910s, similar trade boards were implemented in clothing factories throughout the country. As a result, strikes were nearly eliminated.

Sonneborn played a large role in attracting many Jews to America who were facing persecution throughout Europe in the early 20th century. According to Sonneborn Jr., Jews in every European country heard of the factory. For those who were able to immigrate, it enabled them to get established and many eventually moved on from the factory (the turnover rate was as high as 50%).

Like many companies around the country, Sonneborn did not survive the Great Depression and closed in 1931. Various companies occupied during the following decades including the Classic Uniform Company in the 1950s (during that time it became known as the "Classic Building." It also became one of the first locations of the Social Security Administration. The University of Maryland acquired it in 2006 and converted it into a non-patient care office building.

Dolan, Dennis P. "Sonneburn Building." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. October 29, 1982. https://mht.maryland.gov/secure/medusa/PDF/NR_PDFs/NR-691.pdf.

"The Classic Building." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed October 17, 2022. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=177794.

Gunts, Edward. "Medical center breathing new life into building." The Baltimore Sun. January 29, 2006. https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2006-01-30-0601300037-story.html.

"Sonneborn Family Collection." Center for Jewish History. Accessed October 17, 2022. https://archives.cjh.org/repositories/5/resources/10035.

"Sonneborn, Henry - (2-21-1827 to 12-26-1917) Clothing." German Marylanders. Accessed October 14, 2022. https://www.germanmarylanders.org/profile-index/manufacturing-retail#h.p_ID_3952