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Boyertown Burial Casket Co. and Eddie Bechtel, head mechanic, in an undated photo. (Photo courtesy of Abandoned, Old or Interesting Places in Pennsylvania)
by Expression Staff
In the winter of 1893, local undertaker Henry Wagner grumbled to banker Milton Mory about Boyertown's ongoing struggle to secure coffins during the cold months. That offhand remark sparked an idea that would soon transform our community. Within hours, local leaders had organized and raised stock to start the Boyertown Burial Casket Company, which opened its doors later that year and would grow to become one of the most influential casket manufacturers in the world.
From its modest beginnings, Boyertown’s casket makers expanded aggressively. By 1894, the company was opening sales offices in major U.S. cities, and within a decade it became the largest manufacturer in Berks County.
Through the early 20th century the business spread coast-to-coast, with operations reaching Los Angeles and beyond, making Boyertown a household name among funeral directors nationwide.
At its peak in the mid-20th century, the company employed over 1,000 people and produced more than 60,000 caskets annually, ranking as the second largest casket maker in the world. Its products were chosen for notable figures including Harry Houdini — who commissioned a custom coffin for his legendary escape act — as well as Marilyn Monroe, Robert F. Kennedy, Liberace, and international dignitaries like Sun Yat-Sen.
Despite its storied reputation and national reach, the latter decades brought change and challenges.. As global competition and industry consolidation intensified in the late 20th century, Boyertown Burials faced mounting pressures. In the mid-1980s, the company was sold to Service Corporation International (SCI), a Houston-based giant in the funeral supply sector. Despite hopes that new ownership might secure the company’s future, layoffs followed and the factory struggled to regain its footing.
After nearly 96 years in business, the Boyertown Burial Casket Company ultimately closed its doors on October 31, 1988. Today the former site is commemorated with a historical marker, preserving the legacy of an enterprise that helped put this Pennsylvania town on the map.
On September 18, 2004, a reunion was held for former employees of the Boyertown Casket Company. The video report (below) about the reunion was produced by BASH class of 2005 student Eric Sweinhart.
[Editor's note... You may have to watch a brief commercial before the video plays. We cannot change that; it's just the way Youtube.com works.]
(Video courtesy of Boyertown High School History)
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