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American Veneer Co.

American Veneer Co.
Kenilworth, NJ


The American Veneer Company was a shipper on the New Orange Four Junction Railroad, and later the Rahway Valley Railroad, from 1902 until the plant suffered a major fire in December, 1912.

 

American Veneer was founded in 1900 by William A. Bushfield who initiated his business in Jersey City, NJ. Wooden veneers are thin slices of wood, usually thinner than 1/8" that are glued onto core panels to produce flat panels such as doors, tops, and panels for cabinets, parquet floors, and parts of furniture.

 

After his product caught on and was in demand, Bushfield moved his plant to New Orange, NJ (officially organized as Kenilworth in 1907). American Veneer was moved into the site formerly occupied by Ricca Manufacturing Company . Bushfield had the plant expanded, to meet his company's needs, to a plant measuring 200' x 60' and was soon employing roughly 100 persons.

 

The niche of the market that American Veneer got into was manufacturing dashboards for automobiles, a budding and rapidly expanding industry at the time.

 

Sadly, on December 29, 1912 a devastating fire broke out at American Veneer's plant, one of the worst in Kenilworth's history, and destroyed all of the contents and the entire building. Also destroyed was an empty boxcar on the company's siding.

 

No subsequent mentions of the company can be found in documents. We can assume that the fire devastated the company to the point of financial ruin.

 

Please see news clippings below for further information on American Veneer Company.




 

Rahway Valley Railroad
Customer Profile

Name:

American Veneer Co.

Location:

Market Street
Kenilworth, N.J.

Years of
Operation:

1902-1912

Nature of
Business:

Wood veneers

Shipments
via RV:

Lumber (?), inbound
Finished veneers (?), outbound

RR Siding? Yes, one siding. Former siding of Ricca Manufacturing Co.
Notes:

Occupied former site of Ricca Manufacturing Co.










Collection of Ed Leonard.










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