Silk City Diners was a division of the Paterson Wagon Company, later known as Paterson Vehicle Company, established by Everett Abbott Cooper and based in Paterson, New Jersey, which produced about 1,500 diners from 1926 until 1966. Each was tagged with the year and order in which it was built; for example, 5607 would be the seventh diner manufactured in 1956. Several have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
Known Silk City diners + Known Silk City diners Image Name Location Serial # Year Status Notes 1941 Silk City (George & Sally's Blue Moon Diner) Gilmore Car Museum, Hickory Corners, MI 1941 Museum Originally at 514 Center St, Meriden, CT; restored and moved to museum 2004 Airport Diner Kutztown, Pennsylvania 6027 1960 Operating Airport Diner has two surviving serial plates. Baby's Burgers & Shakes State College, Pennsylvania 3071 Closed Year uncertain; serial number decoding suggests 1930 but other sources indicate c. 1962. Biscuits and Barbecue Mineola, NY c. 1947 Closed Closed June 2024 Chief Martindale Diner Claverack, NY 5807 1958 NY23 x Taconic Parkway Country Girl Diner Chester, Vermont 1944 or 1948 Operating Serial number disputed; diner's own sources cite both #48211/1948 and #178/1944 Deepwater Diner Carneys Point, New Jersey 5809 1958 Operating Exterior altered 2011; structure intact Deligan's Diner Massachusetts 4824 1948 Private Formerly the Blue Tone Diner. Formerly in Peekskill, NY; not operating as a diner Delta Diner Delta, Wisconsin 1940 Operating Originally from upstate New York; restored and reopened 2003 The Diner Horseheads, New York 1941 Operating Formerly Vic's Diner (Elmira, NY); moved to Horseheads 1974 Doyle's Selbyville, Delaware 5092 1950 Operating Originally Woody's Diner; brought from Paterson, NJ in 1950. Delaware historical marker SC-247. Exmore Diner Exmore, Virginia 45103 1945 Fezz's Community Diner Coudersport, Pennsylvania 5413 1954 Originally Community Diner at Third & Broadway, South Bethlehem, PA. Reported closed June 2024; may have reopened under new ownership. Highspire Diner Highspire, PA 5213 1952 Operating More photos here Kims Classic Diner Sabina, Ohio 4655 1946 NRHP listed Lawrence Park Dinor Lawrence Park, Pennsylvania 1948 Operating NRHP listed; original location Larry's 50's Diner Woodbine, New Jersey 4502 1945 Operating Exterior covered; Silk City car underneath Lincoln Diner Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 5481 1954 Operating Builder's plate shown Mary Lou's Diner Fair Haven, NY 51112 1951 Restoration Formerly known as the Daybreak in Marcy, NY Meadowbrook Diner Brodheadsville, PA 5901 1959 Open Currently only in use as the kitchen. Facebook Page Miss Albany Diner Albany, New York 4195 1941 Operating Now Tanpopo Ramen and Sake Bar; NRHP listed. Serial painted on undercarriage beam. Monkey Thai Diner Clark, New Jersey 5562 1955 Operating Silk City car; operating as Thai restaurant Norm's Diner Groton, Connecticut 1953 Operating Formerly Paula's, and Tugboat Annie's Roadside Diner Wall, New Jersey 4932 1949 Operating Reopened July 2025 by Nick and Maria Kallas. Featured on Bon Jovi's Cross Road album cover.Genovese, Peter. "Coolest-looking diner in New Jersey", The Star-Ledger, August 1, 2013. Accessed 2014-09-22. Route 30 Diner Ronks, Pennsylvania 5904 1959 Operating Formerly Gehman's, Duke's, and Jennie's Diner; builder's plate shown Scratch Kitchen & Anthracite Room Plains, Pennsylvania 5607 1956 Operating Heavily modified interior; exterior largely intact. Approximately half the original counter removed for additional booths; no original stools or back counter fixtures remain. Expanded dining room added. Salem Oak Diner Salem, New Jersey 5512 1955 Operating Listed for sale 2026. HABS documented (NJ-1157). Silk City Diner, Lounge, and Garden Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 5907 1959 Operating Serial per builder's tag; business claims 1952 Tom's Diner Ledgewood, New Jersey 1937 Demolished Originally the Silver Dollar Diner; renamed by Tom Seretis in 1958. Cited as the second-oldest known Silk City diner; no serial tag remaining. Setting for Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" video. Demolished April 2021. Uncle Milty's Glenmont, New York 3671 1936 Demolished Serial documented via tag photo. Demolished 2021. Victoria Diner Branchville, New Jersey 1950 Operating 250 US-206 Village Diner Red Hook, New York 5113 1951 Operating Also known as Halfway Diner or Historic Village Diner; NRHP listed. Retains original builder's plate. West Shore Diner Lemoyne, Pennsylvania 1930s Operating One of the earliest surviving working Silk City diners; builder's plate shown
See also Fodero Dining Car Company Jerry O'Mahony Diner Company Kullman Dining Car Company Mountain View Diners Company Worcester Lunch Car Company
References
External links Diner Hunter: Silk City Diner Tags Pinterest: Silk City Diners Tom's Diner: Silk City Diner