The History.... (Scroll down for the Paranormal)
The Paranormal....
MOLLER PROSPECT FACTORY MAIN PARCEL 1895
Note: The property was given to Moller by the property owners Edward Wareham &wf and Samuel Long &wf to keep the civic minded Moller in Hagerstown. After 14 years of booming business in the Hagerstown area and his determination to improve infrastructure surrounding his factory, no one wanted to see Moller move out of the city.
R.C. CEMETERY/ CATHOLIC GRAVEYARD PARCEL 1916 - 1925 EXPANSION
MOLLER TIMELINE:
Moller began his career in Warren, Pennsylvania. He was given a lucrative offer by Hagerstown after he completed and sold his first organ to a church in Warren. He spent 7 months building his first pipe organ after learning the trade for 2 years.
1875- Moller began making his first organs.
1881- Moller moved his business to Hagerstown. He was given an interest free loan for 10 years as an inducement to move his business to Hagerstown by Governor William T. Hamilton and Senator Lewis E. McComas. (615 N. Potomac) At the intersection of Potomac and Fairground.
August 15, 1895- Around 1 AM a fire broke out in the organ factory located at Potomac Street and Fairground Avenue. It was noted that the fire started in the boiler room. (See article)
August 22, 1895- Moller’s employees return to work in the now burned factory. Articles state that the walls were black. There is mention of the milling and woodwork being done in another facility.
September 19, 1895- Article in Herald and Torch Light announces the “proposition” from Wareham and Long to Moller. They offer up the “Logan Hill” property for a new factory. Second article shares that Moller accepted and work will begin.
December 5, 1895- Advertisement shares that the Moller factory is almost complete.
NOTE: It is noted that Moller had a thing about fires. Due to the destruction at his first Hagerstown factory he made sure that an automatic sprinkler system was installed in the new factory. It can also be noted that Moller made sure to build the Dagmar Hotel of concrete. Each room was sealed with concrete to prevent fire from spreading. Based on the burned out room we saw at the Dagmar it worked.
December 16, 1895- Deed showing property transfer from Wareham & wife, Long & wife to M. P. Moller.
September 13, 1902- Bill filed that the Catholic Cemetery/ Graveyard is a nuisance. Cardinal Gibbons of the Archdiocese of Baltimore cited as defendant. Note: In 1867 the cemetery was sold to the current Archbishop of Baltimore and his successors by St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church. It is noted in the deed that the property was part of 5 parcels. 3 parcels (319, 320, 321) from “Jonathan Hager’s Addition to Hagerstown” and 2 parcels (30, 31) from “Rohrer’s Addition to Hagerstown”. (I believe the cemetery was part of the Rohrer’s Addition because the Jonathan Hager’s Addition mentions Walnut Street.) It is also to be noted that St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the local businesses in the area, and homeowners were also included in this complaint and file to sell.
September 25, 1903- Strike. 32 employees that were part of the union walked out of the factory. Moller says all departments still running. He also stated that any one applying for a job would be able to fill those open positions. If and when the workers on strike decided to return, they would have to apply as an individual.
October 30, 1903- Article states that the strike may soon be over. I have not found any documentation of exactly when the strike ended, nor did I find any information that the former employees were rehired or went back to work.
1906- It is noted that the factory was expanded 5 times between 1895 and 1906. (History of Western Maryland by Thomas Scharf)
January 27, 1911- Article mentions that approximately 204 bodies are to be removed from the North Prospect Street Catholic Cemetery that was recently sold. (Property was sold to Trustees Wilson and Alvey.) See census of cemetery below.
January 28, 1911- 68 bodies have been removed from the Cemetery so far.
April 10, 1911- Deed showing that the property known as the “Roman Catholic Cemetery has had bodies disinterred and moved” is transferred to Wilson and Alvey. (Note: The deed mentions the “Case Number 7135 Equity” which is where the demand for the property to be sold and the bodies to be removed was finalized. Liber 134 Folio 261)
May 1, 1916- Moller acquired a tract of land to the south of his current factory commonly referred to as the “Catholic Graveyard”. When looking at the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps you will see the “R.C. Cemetery” which is the Catholic Graveyard outlined in 1897, 1904, and 1910. In 1918 there are outlined areas for future expansion noted on the maps which are directly located where the graveyard once was. Upon research the prior owners of the graveyard, Walter Wilison and Charles Alvey, were only granted the property as long as the “dead interred in the property hereby conveyed having been disinterred and removed”. I have researched the names listed on the memorial link on findagrave.com and in the book “History of Western Maryland” by Thomas Scharf (1906). None of these individuals have been found in any other grave census. I have found several genealogy sites listing ancestors being buried in that graveyard. No newspaper archives gave any insight as to these graves being moved. In 1925 the expansion of the factory places a lumber yard, lumber shed, wood pipe making, and metal pipe making sheds overtop the area outlined originally as the “R.C. Cemetery”. As far as the owners of the graveyard go, the closest I have come to discovering the church associated is with St. Mary’s Catholic Church which was founded in 1758.
December 10, 1925- Completion of the “erecting room” over North Avenue’s former right of way. At this time the factory was connected to the city’s infrastructure which linked businesses and homes to city water and sewer. There was a large dinner (over 600 people) to show the new addition as well as to highlight Moller’s 50 years of organ making.
April 13, 1937- Mathias P. Moller dies at 10 PM at his residence from complications following an illness.
February 1942- Moller begins to manufacture parts for PT-19s and a special gun turret training device for the U.S. Navy. The war efforts crippled the company and they never fully recovered. Contracted through Fairchild. The workforce was made up of many women and children.
March 2, 944- Labor Dispute begins because of layoffs. It is noted that a dispute began because 400 employees were laid off when Moller lost the contract with Fairchild. One employee was extremely disgruntled and claimed he was falsely “fired”. The Moller Company at the time said that of 1080 employees 400 were laid off. At the time that the dispute entered the courts the company claimed they were set to lay off over 500-600 more employees.
July 16, 1984- Strike. Negotiations on healthcare.
June 20, 1992- Moller Factory was set to reopen after a 10 week shutdown. The employees were attempting at this time to purchase the factory to continue work.
Memorial List for “R.C. Cemetery” or Catholic Cemetery located on Bethel Street/ Prospect Street.
Susan McLaughlin, died Dec. 1, 1846, aged 70 years.
Elizabeth Brooks, died ____, in her 85th year.
William Conden, born in Queen’s County, Ireland, died March 14, 1822, in his 32nd year.
Francis Mc Bride, died Feb. 23, 1874, in his 60th year.
Bridget, wife of Francis McMullin, died Nov. 20, 1863, in her 75th year.
Thomas McCardell, died Oct. 26, 1843, aged 66 years, 8 months; and his wife, Ann, died March 24, 1861, aged 84 years, 3 month.
Joseph Reel, died Jan. 17, 1831, aged 76 years, 30 days.
Elizabeth Reel, died Feb. 16, 1822, aged 54 years, 4 months.
Hugh McKuskerd, died Dec. 14, 1867, aged 64 years, 9 mos; and his wife, Margaret died March 13, 1879, aged 74 years, 1 month.
James Adams, died in 1836, aged 56 years; and his wife, Elizabeth died Feb. 5, 1836, aged 52 years.
Patrick Mooney, died Nov. 24, 1838, aged 65 years.
Margaret Adams, died August 21, 1846, aged 63 years, 3 days.
Patrick Donnelly, died May 27, 1837 in his 54th year; and his wife Margaret died, March 29, 1832 in her 59th year.
Richard Welsh, died Nov. 9, 1828, in his 61st year.
James McGonigle, native of Londonderry, Ireland, died October 13, 1838, aged 70 years.
Jeremiah Lyons, died May 16, 1876, in his 75th year.
Mary Roach, native of Limerick, Ireland, died Sept. 6, 1876, aged 80 years.
Philip Bradley, native of Londonderry, Ireland, died March 1, 1875, aged 63 years.
Hugh Murphy, born in County Carlow, Ireland, died March 9, 1878, in his 71st year.
George Moore, died March 8th, 1865, aged 77 years, 7 months.
William B. Doyle, died June 28, 1865, in his 64th year; and his wife Margaret died Dec. 15, 1860 in her 57th year.
Thomas Shirvan, died Oct. 17, 1868, in his 84th year; and his wife Isabella, died July 29, 1867, aged 67.
Caper Schwab, died Feb. 22, 1855, aged 77 years.
Rev. Joseph J. Maguire, died September 18, 1852, in the 36th year of his age.
Susan McLaughlin, died Dec. 1, 1846, aged 70.
Christopher Murphy, born in Armagh, Ireland, aged 61.
Adam Crist, died Aug. 13, 1852, age 50.
Margaret, wife of Richard Barry, of County Limerick, Ireland, died Feb. 11, 1858, age 68.
Thomas Drinen, a native of Queens County, Ireland, died Oct. 17, 1857, aged 51.
Martha, wife of Issac Rowland, born December 17, 1808, died June 4, 1869, aged 60.
Julia, wife of Robert Lewis, died December 20, 1856, in her 47th year.
Joachim Shilling, died March 8, 1859, in his 52nd year; and his wife, Francesca died Feb. 11, 1852, aged 42.
Jacob Butts, died May 16, 1861, aged 54.
FORMER MOLLER PIPE ORGAN FACTORY