The Industrial Heritage of Berkeley County
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Description
Follow the path of industry in Berkeley County, West Virginia.
1. Martinsburg Roundhouse
The Martinsburg Roundhouse complex is a rare example of 19th-century railroading technology in existence today. The roundhouse is located in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and has been a part of two major events in the history of the United States: the Civil War and the Great Railroad Strike of 1877. These two events alongside the architecture of the building make the site a National Historic Landmark.
2. Interwoven Mills, Martinsburg (1890-1976)
Interwoven Mills was a textile factory that specialized in the manufacturing of men’s hosiery. The mill opened in 1890 under the name Middlesex Knitting Company. The plant that stood at this location on Porter Avenue was the first textile mill to be powered by electricity in the United States. The company went through several ownership changes and operated under a few different names until 1962 when it was acquired by the Kayser-Roth Corporation. That textile manufacturer is still in business and based in North Carolina, but the Martinsburg plant was closed in 1976.
3. Norwalk Motor Car
The era of independent automobile manufacturing in the U.S. peaked in 1909. In that year, 272 different manufacturers produced automobiles. From 1909 until 1922, The Norwalk Motor Car Company was one of many automobile manufacturers that sought a piece of the U.S. market. Originally produced in Norwalk, OH the company relocated to Martinsburg, WV in 1910. Over the next twelve years Norwalk Motor Car produced cars and trucks in Martinsburg. One of Norwalk’s models, the 1913 Underslung 6, was marketed as “The Car of Absolute Exclusiveness.” Operations at the plant ceased in 1922 and the Norwalk Motor Car Company passed into history.
