The former Tetlow Manufacturing Company building in Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood could soon earn a place on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, writes Aaron Moselle for WHYY. 

Located at 10th and Cherry streets, the five-story factory became home to the cosmetics company in the 1880s and is now being considered for historic designation because of its role in America’s early beauty industry.

According to the historical nomination cited in the article, the company’s “innovations democratized face powders for women, transformed expectations of consumer safety and color stability, and established techniques of packaging and celebrity-driven marketing that shaped the modern beauty industry.” 

Founded by English immigrant Henry Tetlow, the company began modestly, first producing soap before gaining national attention for its face powders. 

Tetlow helped revolutionize cosmetics by using zinc oxide instead of dangerous ingredients like lead and arsenic, creating safer and more affordable products for middle-class and working-class women. 

The company’s growth reflected Philadelphia’s industrial expansion during the late 19th century, but internal family disputes and legal battles eventually contributed to its decline. 

By around 1940, the business had largely disappeared from public records.

Nonetheless, it had a remarkable legacy.

If approved for the historic register, the building would preserve an overlooked piece of Philadelphia manufacturing history and recognize the city’s influence on the development of the American cosmetics industry. 

Read more about what’s at stake for the former Tetlow Manufacturing Company building and its possible entry into the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places at WHYY.

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