Jeremiah Sweinhart and Successors
Boyertown, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
The evolution of the business located here mirrors America's changing transportation scene. In the factory begun by Mr. Sweinhart in 1872, horse-drawn carriages, farm and delivery vehicles, and sleighs were built. After 1914, bus and truck bodies, and other commercial and military vehicles, were made here. Production ceased, 1990, but the original 1872 shop became part of the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
The workshop Jeremiah Sweinhart opened in Boyertown in 1872 tells the story of American transportation in miniature. It began by turning out horse-drawn carriages, farm wagons, and winter sleighs for a nation still moving at the pace of the horse. After 1914 the same works pivoted to the motor age, building bus and truck bodies and even military vehicles, before production finally ceased in 1990 and the original shop became part of the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles.
Why it matters
A single Pennsylvania factory that spanned from the carriage to the motor truck captures the great American shift from animal power to the internal combustion engine.
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Related people
- ¡ Jeremiah Sweinhart
Themes & tags
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