Crayola crayons hold a special place in many people’s hearts. Since their introduction in 1903, Crayola crayons have become a staple art supply for children and adults alike. But where exactly were these iconic crayons first produced? The story of the origins of Crayola crayons is an interesting one.
In this article, we will explore the early history of the Crayola brand and trace the location of the first Crayola crayon manufacturing facilities. We will look at when and where Crayola got its start, and learn about the founder of the company. Examining historical records and documents will shed light on where those first hand-poured batches of crayons were created over a century ago.
Understanding the roots of an iconic American brand like Crayola gives insight into the evolution of both industry and culture in the United States. Learning this company’s origin story provides a window into what manufacturing looked like in the early 1900s, as well as what entertainment and hobbies were like for children during that period.
So let’s dive in and investigate where the Crayola crayons we know and love were first churned out. As we will see, narrowing down the exact location requires some historical detective work. And the full story contains some interesting twists and turns along the way.
The Origins of Crayola Crayons
Crayola crayons were first manufactured in 1903 by Binney & Smith Company based in Easton, Pennsylvania. The company had been producing colorants for industrial purposes when they decided to launch a line of art crayons for children.
At that time, art crayons were made using chalk or charcoal pigment combined with oil or wax binders. Binney & Smith differentiated their crayon product through innovations in washing methods that enhanced color brilliance. They named their new art crayon line “Crayola”, a creative name blending the French word “craie” (meaning chalk or crayon) with “ola” for oleaginous or oily.
The first Crayola crayons product line consisted of eight different colors sold for $0.05 per box. Included hues were black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, violet and yellow. Early labels featured the words “Safety First!” to assure parents that Crayola crayons had undergone toxicity testing and were non-poisonous for young users.
Initial boxes displayed the product name as both “Crayola” and “Crayolas” until settleing on the Crayola brand in 1905. Extensive distribution efforts through hardware, drug, and department stores quickly popularized Crayola crayons as premium art supplies for children.
Locating the First Crayola Manufacturing Facility
Although we know Crayola crayons first emerged as a Binney & Smith product in 1903, identifying exactly where early manufacturing facilities were located requires deeper investigation. The details surrounding nascent operations of the Binney & Smith company in the early 1900s are sparse. Piecing together clues from limited primary sources provides tentative but intriguing evidence about where productive activity commenced.
No definitive company records conclusively pinpoint the precise sites of pioneer Crayola fabrication. However, we can reasonably deduce plausible locations by examining available facts.
In 1885, Joseph Binney’s son Edwin and his cousin C. Harold Smith formed the Binney & Smith company in New York City. They opened an office at 219 N. 3rd Street in Brooklyn and initially focused on producing lampblack pigments and red oxide colorants used for coating and printing inks.
Yet a fire destroyed the Brooklyn buildings in the late 1880s. After this loss, production shifted to facilities in Manhattan starting around 1890. Advertisements show offices at 261 Pearl Street in New York City by 1892.
When launching Crayola crayons over a decade later in 1903, did Binney & Smith begin manufacturing operations in New York? Or did they utilize the Easton, PA facilities that became their centralized company site not long after?
Consultation of period city directories provides clues that the first Crayola crayons likely rolled off assembly lines in lower Manhattan. The 1905 Copartnership and Corporation Directory of Manhattan Borough registers the “Crayola Company” as operating at 261 Pearl Street – the site of known Binney & Smith offices. This suggests New York City housed the pioneering Crayola crayon works.
| Location | Year | Facility Type |
|---|---|---|
| 219 N. 3rd Street, Brooklyn NY | 1885 | Early Binney & Smith office and production site |
| 261 Pearl Street, New York City NY | 1892 | Binney & Smith office |
| 261 Pearl Street, New York City NY | 1905 | “Crayola Company” registered address |
While further confirmation would be ideal, reasonable conclusions based on currently available documentation suggest those first Crayola crayons emerged from a Manhattan factory sometime around 1903. The brand’s heritage lies within New York City limits, where Binney & Smith activity initiated.
Expanding Operations in Easton, Pennsylvania
In the years following Crayola’s 1903 debut, Binney & Smith rapidly expanded both their crayon product line and manufacturing capabilities. Seeking room for growth, they soon outgrew facilities in New York.
By 1906, just a few years after those pioneering crayons hit the market, Binney & Smith was transitioning company operations to Easton, PA. They erected expansive new facilities about an hour north of Philadelphia to become their central Crayola crayon production site.
Construction of Binney & Smith’s Easton factory culminated with its completion in 1910. The company consolidated all equipment and production capacity from New York into this new Pennsylvania plant by 1911. Now with extensive physical manufacturing resources, Binney & Smith prepared for booming Crayola sales.
Their production capacity proved prescient. By 1912, yearly output reached approximately 1.5 million Crayola boxes. When the First World War curtailed European crayon imports, domestic demand skyrocketed. Crayola sales exponentially increased from 1.5 million units in 1912 to 12.5 million boxes shipped in 1917. Binney & Smith’s new Pennsylvania plant enabled such dramatic manufacturing augmentation.
From this period forward, Easton, PA remained firmly established as the headquarters for Crayola operations. Although New York City initially birthed Crayola crayons, Easton fostered exponential growth as the iconic brand flourished through the 20th century.
Conclusion
In summary, historical evidence suggests those first Crayola crayons emerged from a modest Manhattan factory sometime around 1903. But by 1906, Binney & Smith had relocated all equipment and production to their new Pennsylvania facilities that drove widespread product dissemination.
Ultimately, Crayola crayons originated as a Binney & Smith product within New York City limits. Yet the beloved brand rapidly expanded nationwide thanks to industrial capacity from their Easton, PA operations in subsequent decades.
Although New York represents the ancestral home of Crayola crayons, over a century of cultural resonance stems from the company’s longstanding plant in Easton. Next time you pick up a Crayola crayon, remember both the modest NYC birthplace and subsequent PA hometown that brought creative color to children across America.
