Historical Society of Tacony

Henry Disston was born in Tewkesbury, England in 1819 to Thomas and Ann Harrod Disston. He came to Philadelphia in 1833, and began to make saws in 1840. Despite many setbacks and difficulties Disston eventually was successful, and in 1849 started his own company. In 1871 he began to move his saw works from the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia to Tacony. He sought to develop an utopian family-centered community in Tacony for his workers. He built affordable housing, and also funded the building of schools, churches, and a library. The company became one of the leading suppliers of saws and files in the United States and continues today to produce these same items as Disston Precision.

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