The Printing and Publishing Plant

The Philosophical Publishing Company

The major printing plant on the Beverly Hall premises was abandoned in 1921, due to lack of power to operate the large presses, folders and other printing machinery. This building was left standing intact and in 1951-52 was rebuilt (enveloped) by native stone into what is now the Confederation building.

A new building was constructed on Eighth Street in Quakertown to replace the abandoned building in 1921. This new building provided more room and other necessary facilities for the ongoing publishing of the Fraternity’s books. The printing plant in Quakertown was continually in operation for twenty-seven years. However, even this building became inadequate to print the required volume of books.

In 1948, a new stone building was erected on Beverly Hall property to continue the expanded printing and publishing of the books. This new building was made possible by the bequests of two members of the August Fraternity, Charles Davis and Oliver D. Everhard.

The building is beautiful in appearance with its wide front porch and massive pillars, painted in white, giving the appearance of a southern Colonial mansion, rather than a publishing house. It has eight times the capacity of the two former buildings. The interior of the first floor is beautiful as well as practical. The partitions are of modern knotty pine wood. The pressroom was originally placed is in the basement, assuring warmth in winter and coolness during the summer. The old printing press and old hand placed type set still rests there to this day.

The building itself is set back from the highway about 150 feet, with the foreground being landscaped to enhance the beauty of the building. There are an abundance of a variety of flowering plants, including trees spaced far enough apart to give them room for growing and adding to the attractiveness of the building, reflecting a well kept front yard as usually seen only as a setting for a large country estate.

The planning, erection and arrangements of this building had in mind the continual growth of the Great Work and the avoidance of unnecessary financial outlays in the future.

This building erected in 1948 is still the home for the printing and publishing of the books by the Philosophical Publishing Company.

→  Click here to go to the Philosophical Publishing Company Bookstore.