Dickson Works (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: Starcor Building; A& P Bakery and Warehouse Building
No coordinates published for this listing.
Why it's listed
Scranton's Penn Avenue and Vine Street corner holds the only surviving structure of the original Dickson Works, an industrial complex begun in 1856 as Dickson and Company. The brick building is about 100 by 300 feet and three stories high, with a tower roughly 100 feet tall at the corner. Its double-pitched roof has clerestory lights along most of its length, and exposed wooden trusses with wrought-iron tie members. Thomas Dickson, later president of the Delaware and Hudson Railroad, founded the shop to repair and manufacture mine machinery and boilers. The company employed 600 men by 1880 and exhibited at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, where it received a diploma of highest merit and a medal. It is significant as a major Scranton industrial enterprise whose products reached markets worldwide, and as the parent of several later local manufacturers. The building was vacant from 1942 to 1962 before the Stacor Equipment Company moved in.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the Dickson Works ranked among the leading industries of Scranton and held a high place in the state and country for more than 50 years. Founded in 1856 to repair and manufacture mine machinery and boilers, it grew with the Lackawanna Valley coal industry and was the parent of many later Scranton industries. The building documents that industrial growth over more than a century.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 100011135, listed December 12, 2024. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 225 & 215 Vine Street, Scranton |
|---|---|
| County | Lackawanna County |
| Listed | December 12, 2024 |
| Reference number | 100011135 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1856-1899 |
| Architectural style | Early 19th Century industrial building |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant from 1942 to 1962; the Stacor Equipment Company moved in in 1963 and remains a tenant. |
| Acreage | 1.78 |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 100011135.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.