Finding aid to the Thornhill Wagon Company Papers

JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 MEMORIAL AVENUE
LYNCHBURG, VA 24501
(434) 846-0501
THORNHILL WAGON COMPANY PAPERS, 1911-1938
BOX 1

1-1
1-2
1-3
1-4
1-5

1-6
1-6
1-8
BOX 2

5 copies of Thornhill Wagons, Catalog No. 28
2 copies of Thornhill Wagons, Catalog No. 29
5 copies of Thornhill Wagons, Catalogue No. 31
2 copies of a blueprint drawing "Detail for Avery Roller Skein
Wagon."
Brochures & catalogs of various wagon companies, such as: John
Deere Wagon Works, Moline Plow Co., Piedmont Wagon & Mfg.
Co., Turnbull Wagon Co., Peter Schuttler Co., and Studebaker.
Stock certificate book for Thornhill Wagon Co.
Patents to Charles H. Thompson for wagon parts; trade-mark for the
Thornhill Wagon Co.
Stationery of the Thornhill Wagon Co.

2-1
2-2
2-3
2-4
2-5
2-6
2-7
2-8

Negatives of photos of wagon parts (6)
Misc. photos of wagons & parts (11)
Misc. photos of wagons & Thornhill works (24)
Misc. photos of wagons & parts (25)
Photos of Thornhill wagon frames (20)
Misc. photos of wagon frames and Avery wagon bodies
Misc. photos of wagon parts (21)
Photo of wagon [Lynchburg Engraving]; photo of frame [Lynchburg
Engraving]
2-9 Misc. photos of wagon parts (21)
2-10 Misc. photos of wagon parts (27)
2-11 Time book for 1920

MS1239

JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY
2311 Memorial Avenue
Lynchburg, Virginia 24501
(434) 846–0501
THE THORNHILL WAGON WORKS
The Thornhill Wagon Company was begun in 1898, by Benjamin P. Thornhill.
Beginning in a building on Commerce St., it was moved to the Lower Basin in 1899. It
burned in 1900 and was rebuilt by a stock company, whose officers were as follows:
Benjamin P. Thornhill, President & General Manager; A.F. Thomas, Vice President; John
M. Otey, Secretary & Treasurer. It quickly became the largest exclusive wagon
manufacturing company in the United States.
On 10 December 1910, another disastrous fire hit the company, and in rebuilding the
company purchased 20 acres of land in Fort Hill adjacent to the belt line of the N & W
Railroad. Most of the stock of the company was held by Lynchburg citizens. A very
prosperous company in its day, the works produced 13,000 wagons in 1910.
Due to the rapidly decreasing use of horse-drawn wagons, the company sales
dwindled and the firm went out of business in June 1954. At that time all outstanding
stock was sold to William C. Briddell, of York County, PA. Briddell opened Lynchburg
Dry Kilns, Inc. on the site in June 1956.

SOURCES:
The News (Lynchburg, VA), 11 October 1936 [Lynchburg Sesqui-Centennial special
issue]; The News, 14 June 1959; Hill's Lynchburg (Campbell County) City Directory, 1958 (Richmond,
VA: Hill Directory Co., Inc.); Hill's Lynchburg (Campbell County) City Directory, 1959 (Richmond, VA:
Hill Directory Co., Inc.)

MS1239