CHARLES EMORY ALWINE [see Endnote #1] President of the Alwine Brick Company of New Oxford, Charles E. Alwine is a graduate of Lehigh University. He has been associated with this family firm, which was founded by his grandfather, since 1926. Charles E. Alwine was born at New Oxford on September 13, 1901, the son of William C. and Cora B. (Miller) Alwine. His father was born in Abbotstown on January 9, 1872. Cora Alwine, born in York County, is now deceased. Charles Alwine attended the New Oxford Grade School and the Mercersburg Academy. In 1924 he earned his degree in electrical engineering at Lehigh University. For two years following his college graduation Mr. Alwine was employed by the Philadelphia Electric Company. In 1926 he became affiliated with his father in the Alwine Brothers Brick Company, which was founded in 1851. Peter S. Alwine, founder of the company, was born in York County in 1831. He learned the trade of bricklaying during his youth and by the age of seventeen had become a skilled artisan. At the age of twenty he established his own brick yard. Following his marriage to Catherine Dalheimer he moved his facilities to the farm where they settled. [Endnote #2] In 1885 the plant was relocated in Adams County near New Oxford and twelve miles east of Gettysburg. At this location he had access to a railroad siding and to the shale of that area. During this time Mr. Alwine also engaged for varying periods as a schoolteacher, country merchant, and farmer, and he had attained a reputation as a man of sound business judgment. Following his death in 1896 his two sons, William C. and Lewis H., acquired the business. They became equal partners, and in 1915 the partnership was incorporated. In 1930 Charles E. Alwine became the company's manager, and in 1956 he became its president. The name of the firm was changed to the Alwine Brick Company in 1935. This company began operations with only one kiln, three mean as employees and two boys for helpers. The firm now employs one hundred. During the first years of its operation annual brick production was 300,000,000. Colonial brick, the only type manufactured by this firm, is made in the Williamsburg tradition and has been widely accepted throughout cities along the Atlantic seaboard. About two decades ago the Alwine Brick Company began manufacturing concrete blocks; present production is about 5,000,000 annually. The Alwine Brick Company is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Glen-Gery Shale Corporation of Reading, by which it was purchased in 1961. It has retained its original name and management. [Endnote #3] Mr. Alwine is president of the Structural Clay Products Institute, Northeast Region, president and a director of the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank of New Oxford, chairman of the New Oxford Municipal Authority, and past treasurer of the New Oxford School Authority, an office he held for ten years. A Republican, he served one term as president of the Borough Council. A Mason, he is a Past Master of the Hebron Lodge No. 465 at New Oxford, a member of the Gettysburg Commandery and Chapter and Harrisburg Consistory, and a member of the Zembo Shrine Temple in Harrisburg. Additional memberships are held by Mr. Alwine with the Hanover Country Club and the New Oxford Lions Club, of which he is a charter member and past president. Mr. Alwine is also a member of the board of regents of the Mercersburg Academy. His religious affiliation is with St. Paul's United Church of Christ, New Oxford. Charles Alwine was married in Philadelphia on October 1, 1927, to Pearl Horne. He was married for the second time at Atlantic City, New Jersey, on November 2, 1957 to Sara Gotthardt Wismer. Mr. Alwine is the father of one stepson, Robert K. Wismer, who was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on June 18, 1945. He is a 1967 graduate of Haverford College at Haverford, Pennsylvania, and will continue his graduate study at Iowa State University. By his second marriage Mr. Alwine is the father of one son, Charles E., Jr., born at New Oxford on August 30, 1958. [Endnote #4] Endnotes 1. This material (except for the endnotes) was copied verbatim from PENNSYLVANIA The Heritage of a Commonwealth: Family and Personal Records, Volume IV. Sylvester K. Stevens, Editor. West Palm Beach, FL: The American Historical Company, Inc., 1968. 2. Other sources give Catherine Alwine's family name as: Dahlhammer (see e.g., Michael Lau's Alwine Families of York County, Pennsylvania and Surrounding Areas, August, 1999). 3. The company, still located near New Oxford, is now called the "Alwine Block Plant," and it manufactures and sells quality masonry products and supplies. 4. Charles E. Alwine, Sr., died October 16, 1990 and is buried at New Oxford Cemetery in Adams County (see Lau, 1999). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Duane F. Alwin Professor, Department of Sociology Senior Research Scientist & Program Director Survey Research Center Office: 4067 Institute for Social Research Phone: 734-764-6597 Fax: 734-647-4575 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~