In the early decades of the 20th century, Batavia was full of all kinds of industries, many of which no longer exist today, or at least to the same capacity.
One of those industries was lumbering, and Batavia had one of the best establishments in the industry in the person of the Batavia and New York Lumber Company. He was a leader in wood interior design, especially for many well-known businesses and homes in Genesee County.
It became known further afield, in places like New York, and nationally recognized for the craftsmanship of the workers.
The company's plant was located at Buell and Elizabeth Streets, but extended to Cedar Street. He was not the first to occupy that area, as there had been a factory in that area since the 1880s.
It began as the Batavia Machinery Company, then the Batavia Sewing Machine Company, and finally the New York Lumber and Lumber Company. This latest iteration was reorganized in 1892 as the Batavia and New York Lumber Company.
Its first officers were J.N. Scatchard as president, S.I. Honeck as vice president and general manager, and E.T. Squires as general manager. Honeck continued in business until it finally closed in 1939 and became synonymous with the company.
The structure was huge, with a three-story brick building, engine room, warehouse, storeroom, and dryer. At its peak in the 1920s, the Batavia and New York lumber companies employed 350 people.
The tree is one of the world's largest and most modern trees used for interior wood veneers. He developed a unique process for making fireproof wood that no other manufacturer used.
Their original business model focused on contract orders based solely on architects' designs and drawings. Blueprints were drawn up by contractors and skilled workers, and then parts, including doors, partitions, and trim, were made to specifications for a particular room in a particular building.
During this period, the Batavia and New York Wood Working Company designed wood interiors for major New York hotels such as the Hotel Pennsylvania, Hotel Roosevelt, and Hotel Savoy-Plaza. Other clients include banks and office buildings in the United States.
His last major work outside of Genesee County was the interior of Sterling Library on the Yale University campus, completed in 1931.
The company has also been involved in smaller projects such as making boxes to transport other products.
For example, in 1919 there were Victrolas and Batavia talking machines. He was also responsible for the woodwork of the local house built in the 1930s.
With the onset of the Great Depression, business slowed dramatically. The demand for wooden interiors became very expensive and went out of fashion.
After selling a large number of orders, only a small percentage of the company's former customers remain.
Batavia and New York Lumber Company went out of business in 1939. Title to his mill was transferred to the Genesee Trust Company, which was sold to the city as a foreclosure. Today, several industrial corporations call the property home, and Elizabeth Street no longer ends at Cedar Street.
Ryan Duffy is the Executive Director of the Holland Land Office Museum in Batavia. His "History with HLOM" column appears twice a month in the Daily News. Read past articles online at www.thedailynewsonline.com.
