Manhattan Soap Company


Manhattan Soap Company was a business founded in 1890 and located at 426 West 38th Street in New York City. It manufactured Sweetheart toilet soap and other products. 441 Lexington Avenue was the company's physical address in 1937. The corporation was acquired by the Purex Corporation Ltd. on July 31, 1956.

Land Acquisition

The firm purchased of water front property at the Degnon Terminal on Hunterspoint Avenue, in November 1916. The land ran from Dutch Kills, Queens Canal to Orton Street in Long Island City. The property, purchased from the Degnon Realty and Terminal Improvement Company, was to be used for the construction of a factory for the Manhattan Soap Company. An earlier plant was located at 52 Stone Street.

Advertising

In April 1937 Manhattan Soap Company agreed to stop using the word "doctor" in ads, because the term might have led consumers to believe the company's products were made with the advice of a physician. The business also confirmed with the Federal Trade Commission that it would not use false prices on cartons or boxes in which its soap was packed.