The broom factory started in Browns Summit in 1895 although the current clapboard building was not constructed until 1937. In its heyday, over 400 dozen brooms were made per week by the ten employees. The wooden handles were constructed of hardwood from South America or pine from Mississippi. The bristles were made either from broom straw imported from Mexico or broomcorn brought from Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado. Twine and wire were purchased from New Jersey suppliers.
In the back of the 150-foot long by 30-foot wide building is a machine similar to a cotton gin used to strip the broomcorn of its seeds. On the other side of the building are the broom making machines—three broom winders which feed into one Baltimore Broom Stitcher which puts in the thread that holds the fibers together.
Except for the occasional flea market setup, the historical building sat virtually unused from 1985 to 2005 when a craftsman took it over as his woodworking shop and established a partnership with an artisan willing to manage the broomworks. Today the Broom Works is back to the business of being "manufacturers of HIGH GRADE BROOMS" and is open on Saturdays or by chance.
