Harbison-Walker Refractories Company
| Company type | Private (historical) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing (refractory bricks) |
| Founded | March 7, 1865 in Mount Union, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Founder | Investors from Pittsburgh and Allegheny |
| Fate | Merged into Dresser Industries in 1967 |
| Headquarters | Mount Union , United States |
Area served | National |
Key people | Samuel P. Harbison, Hay Walker Sr. |
| Products | Refractory bricks |
| Parent | Dresser Industries (from 1967) |
The Harbison-Walker Refractories Company represents a nationally recognized historic district and a manufacturing site specializing in refractory bricks, situated in Mount Union, Pennsylvania, within Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. Its origins trace back to March 7, 1865, when it was established as the Star Firebrick Company by investors from Pittsburgh and Allegheny.
In 1990, the site earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places.
History
On January 30, 1875, Samuel P. Harbison and Hay Walker Sr. purchased stakes in the Star Fire Brick Company, subsequently creating the Harbison and Walker Company. The business was formally incorporated under Pennsylvania statutes on July 30, 1894, and later received its charter as the Harbison-Walker Refractories Company on June 30, 1902. In 1967, it became part of Dresser Industries through a merger.
From 1955 until the 1967 merger, Harbison-Walker maintained its status as a Fortune 500 corporation.
A successor enterprise based in Pittsburgh adopted the name HarbisonWalker International in 2015.
The historic district encompasses fourteen contributing structures and twenty-seven additional buildings constructed during two main phases: the No. 2 works in 1899 and the No. 1 works in 1905. Notable components include facilities for brick kiln firing, mixing, molding, drying processes, alongside storage and shipping warehouses, pattern-making workshops, and equipment for crushing and screening.
This district is incorporated within the larger Mount Union Historic District, which was established in 1994.
External links
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) records related to Mount Union, Huntingdon County, PA:
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) materials documenting the west end of Shirley Street in Mount Union, Huntingdon County, PA:
- Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
- Historic American Buildings Survey in Pennsylvania
- Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania
- Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
- Buildings and structures in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania
- National Register of Historic Places in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania
- 1902 establishments in Pennsylvania
- American companies established in 1902