Centerville Glove Factory

Centerville Glove Factory—Owned and Operated by Mr. Leonard and Mrs. Frances Curcio

Downsville News August. 1945:

“It is one of Delaware County’s smallest Industries.  The Glove Plant is operating in an old residential building in the small place called Centerville, but East Branch is the real address.  It has been running about eight years.  About six to eight women are employed in it today and with Mr. Curcio and Mr. Merwin as official glove dampeners, cutters and pounders of the skins.  It is midway between Harvard and East Branch and they produce the inside of rabbit lined gloves.  They sew these gloves together on their overstitch machines.  When the seams are all sewn together, “closed” it is ready for shipment to Gloversville where the leather shell is put on.  Four sizes are made for women and five for men.

Mr. Curcio bought the Glove Factory from Bassett Ives in 1944; he gets his furs from Australia (imported from) and tanned in New York City.  He learned this trade from Cassero’s Fur Factory in Gloversville.”

Gloversville glove manufacturers were very busy during WWII producing the “Military Black” leather gloves worn by American servicemen.  After WWII the manufacturing business moved overseas and this forced the Gloversville factories and its contract shops like the Centerville Glove Factory to close in 1950.