White Mills grew rapidly during the 1870s and 1880s as houses were built, churches established, and businesses formed. The factory's eastern limits along the Lackawaxen River were defined by Elizabeth Street, named for Christian Dorflinger's wife, and Charles Street, named for his oldest son. With the factory at its center, the community developed along the old plank road from Honesdale to Hawley, and many Dorflinger workers owned their own homes there. Three hotels served commercial needs, two churches met religious needs, and an opera house and other fraternal buildings provided recreation. The White Mills Opera House was built in 1897 and used for many years for traveling shows. The Hotel Lafayette opened to the public in 1897 and later became Murphy's Hotel, owned by the parents of baseball player Eddie Murphy. A gas plant supplied gas to the factory by heating bituminous coal in enclosed ovens, capturing the released gas, and piping it to the factory to melt glass; gas also reached some homes for lighting and a few streetlights. The cornerstone for St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church was laid on July 28, 1878, on land donated by Christian Dorflinger; after fire destroyed it in 1960, a new church was built on the same site. The Methodist Church was built in 1890.