Silk City Diners
Silk City Diners was a division of the Paterson Wagon Company, later known at Paterson Vehicle Company, established by Everett Abbott Cooper and based in Paterson, New Jersey, which produced about 1,500 diners from 1926 until 1966.[1][2] Each was tagged with the year and order in which it was built; for example, 5607 would be the seventh diner manufactured in 1957.[3] Several have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
The Gilmore Car Museum,[4] near Kalamazoo, MI owns and operates a fully restored 1941 Silk City Diner now called George and Sally's Blue Moon Diner. The diner was part of the “Silk City” model line (much like Chevrolet “Bel Air” or “Impala”) built by the Paterson Vehicle Company of Paterson, NJ. Options were selected and it was ordered in 1941 and delivered pre-assembled to Meriden, CT.
It operated as “Joe’s Diner” on Center Street in Meriden for several years before Joe turned the diner over to his daughter and it became known as “Gina’s Diner.” We believe it was known as “The Blue Moon Diner” when it closed its doors sometime around 1997. It remained empty for several years before we purchased, had it restored and moved it to the Gilmore Car Museum in 2004.
NRHP and other extant diners
- 1941 Silk City, Gilmore Car Museum, Hickory Corners, MI[5]
- Miss Albany Diner
- Roadside Diner, Wall, New Jersey[6][7]
- Village Diner, Red Hook, New York
- Kims Classic Diner Sabina, Ohio
- Silk City Diner, Lounge, and Garden, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[8]
- Tic Tock Diner, Clifton, New Jersey[9]
- Delta Diner, Delta, Wisconsin
- Biscuits and Barbecue, Mineola, NY
See also
- Diners of Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Fodero Dining Car Company
- Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company
- Kullman Dining Car Company
- Mountain View Diners Company
- Worcester Lunch Car Company
References
- ↑ http://www.northjersey.com/news/silk-city-diners-dynasty-reunites-for-a-tribute-in-paterson-1.1093157
- ↑ Gutman, Richard (2000), American Diner Then and Now, JHU Press
- ↑ http://www.roadsidefans.com/diner-faqs
- ↑ http://www.gilmorecarmuseum.org/
- ↑ http://www.gilmorecarmuseum.org/
- ↑ Genovese, Peter. "Coolest-looking diner in New Jersey", The Star-Ledger, August 1, 2013. Accessed 2014-09-22. "There isn’t a diner quite like the Roadside Diner anywhere in Jersey...
- ↑ Dunphy, Dw. "New Jersey, Diners, And YouA Day Tripper look into two memorable spots to grab a quick bite.", ChathamPatch, March 30, 2012. Accessed 2014-09-22. "The [Roadside Diner] in Wall has been an area institution since the 1940s, at the intersection of Rt. 33 and 34 on the Collingwood Circle….
- ↑ http://www.silkcityphilly.com/history/
- ↑ Gabriele, Michael C. (2013), The History of Diners in New Jersey, The History Press