The Sewing Factory
The following piece is for a scholarship on Vacancy.com. The assignment was to write a short essay on your ideal apartment.
The Ideal Apartment:
http://www.vacancy.com/pennsylvania/philadelphia-apartments/sewing-factory/photos/
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Sierra stepped into the apartment, face turned upward. The exposed beams in the ceiling immediately capturing her attention.
"This place used to be a sewing factory, you say?" She asked, glancing at the white trimmings in the newly installed modern kitchen.
The realtor nodded, enthusiastically. "Most definitely," He said, gesturing expansively to the spacious loft apartment. "In 1918, hundreds of women were employed by the Sears&Roebuck Company to mass produce ready made fashions for their department stores. The factory was shut down in 1958."
She studied the rich, mahogany color of the beautiful hardwood floors and wondered how the original flooring looked. Sierra had the distinct impression that the realtor was making up the history of the sewing factory off the top of his head but the place was definitely beautiful.
"So...?" The realtor prompted, hesitantly twirling the end of his auburn mustache.
Sierra frowned at him. "Can I have a moment?"
"Oh.. um. Yes, of course." He blustered, patting his already perfectly slicked hair back into place.
The door closed gently behind him and she was alone with the old brick walls and the grand factory windows. The history of the place was intoxicating. Sierra sat down on the hardwood floor and looked around wondering about the hopes and dreams of the hundreds of women that had worked here when it was still a factory. She thought of all the little girls that had worked through the night, the real life Rosie the Riveters on the home front when the war began. This was the perfect location for her to continue her schooling at Drexel University, possibly the most inspiring spot in all of Philadelphia.
Sierra breathed in the scent of dust, old wood and brick, smiling and imagining she could hear the roar of the automatic sewing machines.