The history of the Abandoned Rumpel Felt Company dates back to 1875, when German immigrant and trained shoemaker George Rumpel established a small operation producing felt-lined boots. The business grew rapidly, eventually becoming one of Canada’s major felt manufacturers.
In 1912, Rumpel established a new company bearing his family name, and the original factory building that still stands today was constructed in 1913. The company produced a wide range of felt and synthetic-felt products, supplying customers across Canada and exporting its products around the world.
Over the following decades, the factory was expanded several times as the company grew and manufacturing requirements changed. At its peak, the operation employed hundreds of workers and played an important role in the area’s industrial economy.
After more than a century of manufacturing, operations at the Rumpel Felt Company finally came to an end around 2007–2008. The closure marked the end of a manufacturing legacy spanning more than 130 years.
Today, the Abandoned Rumpel Felt Company remains as an impressive reminder of Canada’s industrial past. Its old brick walls, massive industrial spaces and later additions reveal the evolution of a factory that once produced materials shipped across the country and around the world.
