Historic Moment:  The Packwood Carriage factory

By Beth Batlle

Town Historian

At one time an extensive carriage and sleigh factory stood on the north end of Skaneateles Lake, to the west of the Village. The building was built around 1865 by John Packwood. Today the area is known as Clift Park, the building having been replaced by tall trees, green grass, and park benches,  providing a relaxing site for residents and summer visitors alike.

This peaceful site was once full of the sounds of blacksmiths hammers striking hot iron while sparks sizzled then died as they fell onto the dirt floor in the basement of the factory. A group of blacksmiths, sweating in the heat of the forges, worked here, shaping springs, axles and wheels. Perfection was their goal as they filed smooth every piece of iron and nipped off each bolt that protruded beyond its position so no owners clothing could ever catch and tear.

The ground floor, under the supervision of Charles Wheaton, a first class mechanic, was the wood shop where the bodies of the vehicles and the running gear were built. Here stacks of the best, well- seasoned wood waited to be put to use. The wood workers were no novices, turning out carriages that upheld the reputation of a Packwood carriage.

The paint shop occupied the third floor. Supervised by William Thompson all the painting was done here, except for the trim. Each buggy was painstakingly sanded, then painted with a minimum of three coats of the best black paint manufactured, then meticulously varnished.

The space down of the second floor was entirely devoted to applying the trim. William Packwood, brother of John, was the foreman here. Again, the finest material was applied by the most capable of workers. John Packwood would oversee each carriage from the time it was begun until it reached its  final completion.

In 1875 a tower, five stories high, was built on the east side of the main building. On the peak of this tower Mr. Packwood installed a weather vane, fashioned in the shape of a carriage. The main purpose of this tower was, however, as an elevator, to transport the carriages from the basement to the other levels of the building.

Also, a bell was hung inside the copula on  the top of this tower.  A foreman, or maybe Mr. Packwood himself, would tug on the long rope to ring the bell, at 7 a.m. to call the workers to  report to work, at noon to announce the lunch break, and again at 6 P.M. to announce the end of the work day.

A passageway through the tower lead to the two-story show room to the east. This room was 30 feet wide and 175 feet in length, resulting in a complex that fronted about 275 feet on West Genesee Street. Here was an elegant display of two and four-seated carriages, some with folding tops, some without, platform wagons, and in winter, light Portland cutters for pleasure and  heavier work sleighs.

Perhaps the most expensive vehicle Packwood ever produced was elaborate hearse, built in August of 1873. Silver adornments, with curtains of heavy gold lace, this hearse had sides of solid plate glass and woodwork painted and polished to perfection. The cost of this vehicle was in the neighborhood of $1,500. (Today that would be $29,308.)

Most orders were local. However, many came in from Canada and other far away places such as California, Utah, and Mexico.  In 1881 Packwood sent six carriages to Australia.  The most he sold in one day, on September 20, 1877, was 29.

In 1886  Mr. Packwood  moved his business to Clinton Street in Syracuse. After staying there for about a year, he moved the business again, this time to Dill Street in Auburn. He continued there until his death in July 12, 1890.

The original brick shop had been torn down in 1888 and the other buildings were also removed. Some Skaneateles citizens wanted to build a new fire house on the empty site. Others, however thought a new park would be more appropriate and a park is what is there today.

Note: Anyone wishing to see an original Packwood carriage should visit the Creamery  Museum at 28 Hannum Street in Skaneateles. The winter hours are Friday and Saturday from 1p.m. – 4 p.m.