Christiana Machine Company.

The Christiana Machine Company is a small, general-purpose machine shop and foundry located in Christiana, Lancaster County, Pa.

Established in 1834, the foundry was unsuccessful until purchased by Isaac Broomell in 1862. Six years later, Broomell and his sons Edward and Henry contracted with Nathan F. Burnham, a machinist and inventor of York, Pa., to manufacture an improved water turbine that Burnham had invented, and the firm began to specialize in small power plants suitable for rural mills. In the fall of 1877, Burnham and the Broomells became equal partners, and the partnership was styled the Christiana Machine Company in 1878. Burnham's sons Frank and William organized Burnham Bros. of York to sell the turbines manufactured by Christiana. Christiana soon began manufacturing steam engines, flour mills, saw mills, and boring and turning mills. The firm concentrated on Southern markets for small mills through a network of wholesalers, millwrights and suppliers.

The Broomells bought out Nathan F. Burnham's interest in January 1889 and eventually severed their connection with Burnham Bros. In the same year, Henry Broomell patented an improved version of Burnham's turbine. The firm was incorporated in 1902. The Broomells failed to adapt to the shift in demand to larger hydro plants, and as the Southern market contracted after 1900 they turned to both the Mid Atlantic States and the South American export market.

Between 1900 and 1915, the company also turned to providing gears, shafting and other elements of power transmission systems for factories in Philadelphia and New York. This involved off-the-shelf standard sizes as well as batch jobs for individual factory engineers and subcontracting work for larger manufacturers. In 1915, the Broomells sold the firm to Charles Bond of Philadelphia, a more successful operator, and the company became a subsidiary of the Charles Bond Company.

From the description of Records, 1877-1929 (bulk 1877-1915). (Hagley Museum & Library). WorldCat record id: 122397295