About the Neighborhood

History of the Umbrella Building

The Umbrella Building in Philadelphia was originally built in 1909 as a factory for the Dreuding Brothers to make artificial chamois, with a large north wing added in 1920 as the business grew. After the original company left in the late 1950s, Jules Segal & Sons moved in and later began making umbrellas there, which is how the building got its well-known nickname. It was eventually renovated into modern apartments in the 2010s, preserving a piece of the neighborhood’s industrial past.