Harbison’s Dairy Milk Bottle

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the Harbison’s Dairy Milk Bottle! This quirky landmark, a 34-foot-tall water tower shaped like a milk bottle, has been a beacon in Kensington since 1915. You can’t miss it, perched atop the old Harbison’s Dairy plant. This building, dating back to 1895, has seen a lot of Philadelphia history. Robert Harbison, the founder of Harbison’s Dairy, knew a thing or two about milk. In a time before refrigerators were common, Harbison’s Dairy delivered fresh milk twice a day using horse-drawn carriages. They kept the city supplied with milk, bringing it in by train from farms all over the region. The dairy thrived for decades, even becoming one of the most advanced dairy plants in the US as they transitioned to delivery trucks. However, all good things must come to an end, and the Kensington facility was sold in 1968 and eventually closed in 1990. The building sat in disrepair for years, a silent testament to the neighborhood’s industrial past. But the Harbison’s Dairy Milk Bottle, with its bold “Harbison’s” lettering, refused to fade into obscurity. This local icon, nicknamed the “Eiffel Tower of Kensington,” was saved from demolition thanks to dedicated preservationists. Today, the former dairy plant has been revitalized as a mixed-use space, and the Harbison’s Dairy Milk Bottle, now gleaming with fresh paint and illuminated at night, stands as a symbol of Kensington’s enduring spirit.