Coachbult.com - Fitzgibbon & Crisp



Fitzgibbon & Crisp Carriage & Wagon Co. - 1850-1913 - Fitzgibbon & Crisp Inc. - 1913-1940 - Trenton, New Jersey

Makers of horse-drawn carriages since the 1890s, Fitzgibbon & Crisp made a number of car bodies, primarily on Mercer and Crane Simplex chassis. built bodies 1908-1934.

Fitzgibbon & Crisp built funeral vehicles as well as commercial can bodies. In 1919 they built a funeral omnibus on a Pierce-Arrow truck chassis. Designed to eliminate the funeral procession from urban traffic, it could carry a driver, casket and 19 mourners and pallbearers.

xxxxxx

Another landmark in Trenton business, which now has a reputation that extends all over the United States and even to foreign lands, is the Fitzgibbon & Crisp Company, makers of automobile bodies. This business was started more than eighty years ago in a modest shop equipped for the building of wagons and carriages. As time went on two of the younger workmen took over the enterprise and it became Fitzgibbon & Crisp Company which for many years afterward turned out some of the finest equipages in the country, having a trade that catered especially to the users of private carriages in fashionable New York. Later the concern was incorporated under the leadership of the late L. L. Woodward who developed the making of automobile bodies and brought the trade up to a point where it received recognition in Europe as well as all parts of America.

xxxxxx

Early small scale industries concentrated south of Five Points including a pottery to the rear of Lamb’s Tavern, a tannery above Bank Street and a stone mill in “Honey Hollow” (east of North Willow Street by the Belvidere Division railroad). This mill was known as the “Coffee House” and was utilized for grinding spice and roasting coffee. A millpond on Petit’s Run supplied a conduit which turned a paddle wheel which, in turn, powered the mill. Later, however, horse power was utilized with a “sweep,” which proved an irresistible temptation to neighborhood boys for taking a ride. 6 However, as late as 1850, the Five Points area was surrounded to the north and to the west by open farm country and meandering livestock.

Among the later industries was The Fitzgibbons and Crisp Union Carriage Works (#77) established on Bank Street in 1868. The firm, housed in three and four story brick structures, was for many years a large producer of carriages, horse drawn trolley cars, and finally truck and automobiles bodies. The company, which exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition, was described as “one of the most complete” manufacturers of its kind in the country, ranking with the “great wagon manufacturers of the Northwest.”

xxxxx

Fitzgibbon & Crisp Company – Trenton, NJ Another landmark in Trenton business, which now has a reputation that extends all over the United States and even to foreign lands, is the Fitzgibbon & Crisp Company, makers of automobile bodies. This business was started more than eighty years ago in a modest shop equipped for the building of wagons and carriages. As time went on two of the younger workmen took over the enterprise and it became Fitzgibbon & Crisp Company which for many years afterward turned out some of the finest equipages in the country, having a trade that catered especially to the users of private carriages in fashionable New York. Later the concern was incorporated under the leadership of the late L. L. Woodward who developed the making of automobile bodies and brought the trade up to a point where it received recognition in Europe as well as all parts of America. Later on Fitzgibbon turned to building bodies for commercial vehicles.

1920 Trenton city directory listing follows: FITZGIBBON & CRISP INC, automobile body mfrs and repair dept, Calhoun and Dunham, L L Woodward pres, L H Rockhill treas, S Simon sec. Fitz Gibbon & Crisp Co. (All Weather Conditioning Co., Trenton, NJ). Another landmark in Trenton business, which now has a reputation that extends all over the United States and even to foreign lands, is the Fitzgibbon & Crisp Company, makers of automobile bodies. This business was started more than eighty years ago in a modest shop equipped for the building of wagons and carriages. As time went on two of the younger workmen took over the enterprise and it became Fitzgibbon & Crisp Company which for many years afterward turned out some of the finest equipages in the country, having a trade that catered especially to the users of private carriages in fashionable New York. Later the concern was incorporated under the leadership of the late L. L. Woodward who developed the making of automobile bodies and brought the trade up to a point where it received recognition in Europe as well as all parts of America. FITZGIBBON - Fitzgibbon & Crisp was a $100,000 venture for the manufacture of automobiles emanating from Trenton, New Jersey, early in 1913. The identity of Fitzgibbon and Crisp was not revealed; L.L. Woodward was the indicated incorporator of this idea to build automobiles, which seems to have gone nowhere.. The firm did go places, however, as the builders of automotive bodies for Mercer & Crane-Simplex - and as a truck body builder. Mid-1930's trade publications featured photographs of Fitzgibbon & Crisp streamlined integrated semi-trailer designs.

xxxxxx

Fitzgibbon & Crisp was a $100,000 venture for the manufacture of automobiles eminating from Trenton, New Jersey, early in 1913. The firm did go places as a truck body builder and in the mid 1930s they built some beautiful streamlined integrated semi-trailer designs.

Built fire engines 1917

Built a Hand test car in 1934 for the Speery Rail Service, a small self propelled vehicle used for inspection and verification of track defects

1920 phone directory

FITZGIBBON & CRISP INC, automobile body mfrs and repair dept, Calhoun and Dunham, L L Woodward pres, L H Rockhill treas, S Simon sec

1900 phone directory

FITZGIBBON & CRISP CARRIAGE AND WAGON CO; THE, (Patrick J Fitzgibbon), 36 Bank

Fitzgibbon Harry J, wagon builder, h 141 Philemon

FITZGIBBON PATRICK J, (Fitzgibbon & Crisp Co), h 344 Bellevue av

from "History of Trenton" published 1929

formerly UNION CARRIAGE FACTORY?

Fitzgibbon & Crisp:
Probably the enterprise was created 1913 and manufactured in this time funeral buses. These vehicles functioned to a certain extent as driving funeral chapels and seized beside the coffin and the Trauerflor also the mourning municipality. Neither production data nor the proof one actually in the customer order of manufactured vehicle were to be determined so far. L.L. Woodward, which applies for leaders of Fitzgibbon & Crisp, into the today's time as verschollen. Already in the 20's the traces of this company lose themselves.

1917 Jeffrey Motorized Chemical Engine

The one-and-a-half ton Jeffrey chassis was provided by the C.P. Weedon Motor Co. of Trenton, and the body was built by the Fitzgibbon and Crisp Co. of Trenton. Painted white and bearing the name "Lawrence Volunteer Fire Assąn" on its side, it cost approximately $2,800, and was delivered to the fire company on May 26, 1917. The apparatus carried two 40-gallon chemical tanks, ladders, hooks, axes, hand extinguishers, lanterns and other equipment and had the capability of transporting up to 18 men.

xxxxx

Makers of horse-drawn carriages since the 1890s, Fitzgibbon & Crisp made a number of car bodies, primarily on Mercer and Crane Simplex chassis. built bodies 1908-1934.

xxxxxx

Fitzgibbon & Crisp Carriage and Auto Body Co made horse-drawn vehicles starting in the 1890s?. They made a number of car bodies, working particularly on Crane-Simplex and Mercer chassis.

xxxxx

During the first meeting of 1917, held on Monday, January 8, Edward Whitehead, chairman of the Apparatus committee, reported “American LaFrance Co. of Elmira, N.Y., had promised shipment of the tanks and other equipment and Fitzgibbon and Crisp were progressing with their part of the work,

June 10, 1917
In the “motoring” section of the Trenton Sunday Times Advertiser on June 10, 1917, a photograph of the new Jeffrey was published, along with a news story about the purchase of the apparatus. Unfortunately, the article included several inaccuracies, such as the cost of the apparatus and the date the fire association was formed. The article reads: “A fully-equipped automobile chemical engine, costing $28,000 (Editor’s Note: This should have read $2,800), has been delivered to the Lawrence Road Fire Co. by the C.P. Weedon Motor Co. of Trenton, which was awarded the contract some months ago. The chassis is the same as is used in the Jeffrey ton-and-one-half trucks and the body was built by the Fitzgibbon & Crisp Co. of Trenton. The machine is the latest model and the Lawrence Road Fire Co. is justly proud of its appearance. It carries two 40-gallon tanks, ladders, hooks, axes, bars, lanterns, hand extinguishers and other equipment and can, if needed, transport 18 men.

For more information please read:

The Professional Car (Quarterly Journal of the Professional car Society)

Gregg D. Merksamer - Professional Cars: Ambulances, Funeral Cars and Flower Cars

Thomas A. McPherson - American Funeral Cars & Ambulances Since 1900

Carriage Museum of America - Horse-Drawn Funeral Vehicles: 19th Century Funerals

Carriage Museum of America - Horse Drawn - Military, Civilian, Veterinary - Ambulances

Gunter-Michael Koch - Bestattungswagen im Wandel der Zeit

Walt McCall & Tom McPherson - Classic American Ambulances 1900-1979: Photo Archive

Walt McCall & Tom McPherson - Classic American Funeral Vehicles 1900-1980 Photo Archive

Walter M. P. McCall - The American Ambulance 1900-2002

Walter M.P. McCall - American Funeral Vehicles 1883-2003

Michael L. Bromley & Tom Mazza - Stretching It: The Story of the Limousine