The opening of several other large plants, especially in Baltimore, meant Brooklyn plants were reducing the amount of sugar they made.Įmployment remained steady through the 1930s and 1940s, though the production of sugar largely hit a plateau. However, the 1920s are when Domino Sugar peaked, at least in Brooklyn. However, just a few years later, the plant was employing nearly 5,000 people and shipping over 70,000 tons of sugar per year. A fire at the plant in 1917 held things up a bit, especially since they had no insurance because leadership thought the building was immune to fire. In 1907, Domino Sugar even built the East River Terminal Railroad to make transportation of their product easier. Havemeyer, in the early 1900s.įor a long time, business was great. The name “Domino Sugar” came from the grandson of Theodore A. A sugar company was an indicator for economic growth in the nation. In fact, the company was so large that, in 1896, it became one of the first companies sighted in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The refinery was producing 13,000 barrels of sugar a day in 1894, so the Havemeyers weren’t exactly hurting for cash. The Sherman Antitrust Act forced the company to restructure their business, however very little actually changed. Domino Sugar as a Sign Of Economic Growth In just a few short years, nearly all of the country’s sugar came from the Havemeyer family and their company, The Sugar Trust. By 1884, over 5,000 barrels of sugar were being made daily at the refinery. However, once the current structure was built, the family was back on top. Though the Havemeyer family produced around three-quarters of the nation’s sugar before then, a large fire destroyed most of their facilities. Havemeyer, the Domino Sugar Factory was the largest refinery in Williamsburg, a neighborhood known for a large number of sugar factories and refineries at the time. The sugar factory is a prime example of how New York City celebrates the old while modernizing the surrounding area. What was once the largest producer of sugar in the United States is currently an eleven-acre, mixed-use commercial and residential space, with the landmarked refinery still standing strong. The Domino Sugar Factory is one of these landmarks.
Many of these landmarks, though abandoned, capture the imagination of city-goers and provide a visual representation of what each neighborhood used to be. New York City is riddled with landmarks that harken back to an industrial past.
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