Last week I received an email from a Tara Colton saying she acquired a large cabinet that has “Property of the Berkshire Knitting Mills” stamped on the bottom of it. She is hoping to find out a little more about the cabinet and what it was used for at the knitting mill.
She is currently in the process of refinishing the piece. Her email said that the cabinet is very interestingly built, with numbers stamped inside the supports for each drawer as well as generally superb craftsmanship.
If you know anything about this piece, drop a comment or shoot us an email at [email protected] so we can solve this mystery.
![Moore's Diner as it sat at 421 Penn Street in Reading. Moore's was first established at 5th & Court in 1937 by Walter J. Moore. He eventually opened four other diner locations downtown, and a restaurant on the corner of Lancaster Ave and Morgantown Road, which later became Queen City Diner. [colorized]](https://scontent-dfw5-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/439342573_469943478696893_6557708698437293941_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=18de74&_nc_ohc=Bm2l1HjUZ3kAb4mXlQ7&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&oh=00_AfBGTpAfgWJFdFVdKyu76Q9Ey6DWgI4t9wxmNL4VBefFDg&oe=662E4A58)
The shape of the dividers in the drawers is interesting as if they were used to store something special, and that would be my guess. Used in the very early days of Berkshire Knitting before metal cabinets came into vogue. This piece would definitely be featured on Antique Roadshow if you can find one operating in the area. Also, there are dozens of web sites that are devoted to identify antiques and collectibles. Lovely piece! I wish I had it!
It was a large factory with its own operating room, dental and eye clinics. There was a New York Office, too, so the piece could have come from anywhere. Look at the cabinet on the right side of the photo in the dental office, not the same, I know. https://digital.hagley.org/1992249_059
More photos: https://digital.hagley.org/1992249
Different numbers on the drawers suggest different sizes of something. Could be anything.
Hello! Thanks for your insight! I couldn’t decide if the drawers were used for separate things or if they held rolls of something across the valleys in the dividers Such a mystery!
Hoping she posts a pic or two once it’s refinished.
I will for sure! I am still in the sanding process. It’s proving slow as there are layers and layers of stains and shellac from over the years. It had some water damage at some point but nothing major