In 1885, twenty years after the final battle of the Civil War, Baltimore was in the midst of a civic and industrial rebirth. Recovering from the war, the city expanded its borders, diversified its interests, and looked to the energy of the entrepreneurial class to shape the future of the city’s fortunes.

Patrick Flanigan, an Irish immigrant, armed with just a few tools and a vision for his American dream, began a small contracting business in Baltimore.

Flanigan had a knack for recognizing the needs of the community and positioning his company to deliver on those demands. At the end of the nineteenth century, prosperous and working class Baltimoreans alike came to expect modern technologies such as gas lights and electric trolley cars to make daily life easier. Advances in the germ theory of disease also raised awareness of the need to improve public sanitation.

Capitalizing on this opportunity, Patrick offered residents a primitive sewer system known as “char-coal” pits in their back yards for disposal of their “night soil.” These wells eliminated the dumping of waste into open sewers and gutters. Within a few decades, Patrick advanced his offerings, and constructed and owned sewer pipes under Baltimore streets.

Customers paid a nominal fee to connect to “Patrick Flanigan’s Sewer.” Building the sewers taught Flanigan skills in excavation and street construction, which became the mainstay of the business as Baltimore grew in the 20th century. A forward-thinking, hard-working businessman, Flanigan laid the foundation for the future of his enterprise.

BUILDING BALTIMORE’S SEWERS

Patrick Flanigan departed County Monaghan, Ireland, to seek opportunity in the United States. He found that opportunity as one of the sole Master Plumbers in Baltimore City. He was also one of the few employers of the heavily discriminated against Irish population. Flanigan overcame man cultural boundaries and applied his unique vision to create a contracting business. That business would lay the foundation for the future of P. Flanigan & Sons.

GREAT BALTIMORE FIRE

P. Flanigan & Sons was heavily involved in preventing the fire from spreading. The company held a license for the use of demolition and was prepared to create fire breaks. The company and its team of mules was also a key contributor to the clean up effort that followed the fire.

FIRST ASPHALT PLANT IN BALTIMORE

As cobble stones grew out of favor, P. Flanigan and Sons opened the first asphalt manufacturing plant in Maryland. Such an investment was a sign of the company’s forward vision.

FIRST DUMP TRUCK IN BALTIMORE

Just four short years after opening the state’s first asphalt plant, Flanigan introduced the work sites of Maryland to the first dump truck in the state.

BUILDING BALTIMORE’S SEWERS

One of Patrick Flanigan’s earliest business ventures was constructing the sewers of Baltimore City. The original sewer line was developed as a privately held utility called Flanigan’s Pipe. It was later turned over to the city.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

During the Great Depression when work was at a minimum, Flanigan spent his time growing melons and selling them from ships in Baltimore City’s harbor.

PLASTIC ARMOR FOR LIBERTY SHIPS

Pierce Flanigan, Jr. was trained by English engineers in the process known as Plastic Armor. During the lend/lease period prior to the declaration of war, Liberty Ships were armed with this material.

WESTPORT ASPHALT PLANT

P. Flanigan & Sons used about 10 acres of the company’s existing property within Baltimore, to construct an asphalt plant with state of the art technology.

SEAGIRT MARINE TERMINAL

Opened in 1990, P. Flanigan & Sons spent the 1980’s constructing Seagirt Marine Terminal in Dundalk, Md. The 284 acre terminal is a monument to the innovative spirit of both Flanigan and Baltimore.

BALTIMORE CONVENTION CENTER

P. Flanigan & Sons was contracted in the expansion of the Baltimore Convention Center. Completed on a fast-track schedule, this expansion tripled the size of the original building; one unique aspect of the project was the use of light-weight concrete to complete a walkway on the roof of the structure.

PURCHASED BALTIMORE ASPHALT

P. Flanigan & Sons was honored to have the opportunity to purchase the Baltimore Asphalt Company in 1997. The facility and employees were of such quality that Flanigan was able to expand business, and retain many of the Baltimore Asphalt Company’s employees.

SOUTHWEST TERMINAL AT BWI

P. Flanigan & Sons completed an expansion of BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. This project included concrete hard stand, taxiway, and airfield construction. The project was built to the highest standards of quality and during a time of heightened national security.

WINCHESTER RECYCLING FACILITY

Opened in 2006, our Winchester Recycling Facility has been developing and improving its capacity to produce sustainable aggregate products ever since. The Winchester Recycling Facility is all electric: no diesel means no internal combustion, which means no exhaust. The facility uses sprinklers to control air pollution and dust.

NAPA’S SHELDON G. HAYES AWARD

P. Flanigan and Sons, Inc. was awarded the Sheldon G. Hayes Award from the National Asphalt Pavement Association for our work on I-97 between Baltimore and Annapolis. Since this is a national award, we are proud and pleased to be recognized in this way. The Sheldon G. Hayes Award winner is determined through a two-year process. Highway pavement projects using more than 50,000 tons of Hot Mix Asphalt are eligible for consideration.

STANCILLS INC. ACQUISITION

P. Flanigan and Sons, Inc. acquired Stancills Inc., an 83 year-old, family-owned and operated specialty aggregate company based in Perryville, MD. The acquisition will further enhanced our approach to environmentally beneficial products and business practices by manufacturing in-house the environmental soils we have historically outsourced, ultimately creating efficiencies and reducing costs for customers.

PRINCIPIO ASPHALT JOINT VENTURE

Our Principio Asphalt Plant, a joint venture between York Building Products, Diamond Materials and P. Flanigan & Sons, opened in November of 2022 and serves Cecil County, MD, Western New Castle County, DE and Southern Chester County, PA.