National Historic Landmark

Clark Thread Company Historic District

East Newark, Hudson County, New Jersey
Listed
June 1, 1978
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
78001764

About this property

The Clark Thread Company Historic District, located at 900 Passaic Avenue, East Newark, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, is a large mill complex. Begun in 1875, it was a major manufacturing site of the Clark Thread Company, the world's leading manufacturer of sewing thread, until 1935. The complex was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1978 for this association. It now functions as an industrial park housing a diversity of businesses. The former Clark Thread Company facilities lie overlooking the Passaic River in East Newark, covering an area of about 13 acres (5.3 ha) bounded by Passaic, Grant, and Central Avenues, and a railroad right-of-way that parallels Johnston Avenue. There are 35 buildings on the site, built between 1875 and 1910. Most are of brick construction, the most prominent ones being large four-story mills with rows of segmented-arch windows. The Clark Company was founded in 1864 by George and William Clark, the sons of Scottish thread manufacturer James Clark, who acted as agents for their father's firm. First located in nearby Newark, the Clark firm expanded into East Newark in 1875. The company became famous for its thread, which was specifically developed to work well with then-new sewing machines. It was the largest threadmaker in the nation by 1873, and doubled in size by William Clark's death in 1897, when it merged with competitor J&P Coats. Coats and its successors continued to operate on this site until the 1930s, when they began moving production to the American South. The site is now used by a variety of industrial companies. In 1888, Scientific American recognized Clark Thread Works to have the highest chimney in the United States at 335 ft. Conant Thread-Coats & Clark Mill Complex District, a former Coats & Clark mill complex in Rhode Island National Register of Historic Places listings in Hudson County, New Jersey "Clark Thread Company Historic District" (pdf). Photographs. National Park Service. Retrieved May 20, 2012. Clark Thread Company Historic District, East Newark, NJ. Photo Essay. Retrieved 8 April 2017.

Location

900 Passaic Ave.
East Newark, Hudson County, New Jersey
40.75245, -74.16201

Categories

INDUSTRY
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Clark Thread Company Historic District

This page lists Clark Thread Company Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Clark Thread Company Historic District report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Passaic Machine Works-Watts, Campbell & Company
Industrial
0.3 mi
Ahavas Sholom
Industrial
0.4 mi
Belleville Avenue Congregational Church
Industrial
0.4 mi
North Broad Street Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi
Wars of America
Listed
0.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Paulus Hook Aug 19 1779
1779Revolutionary War
4.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Clark Thread Company Historic District listed on the National Register?

Clark Thread Company Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 1, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Clark Thread Company Historic District?

Clark Thread Company Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Clark Thread Company Historic District a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Clark Thread Company Historic District has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Clark Thread Company Historic District?

The period of significance for Clark Thread Company Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Clark Thread Company Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Clark Thread Company Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Hudson County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Hudson County.

Explore HudsonCounty ›

More historic places in New Jersey

Browse all historic places in New Jersey.

View New Jerseyhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

New Jersey history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

New Jerseyhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Clark Thread Company Historic District will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report