297:) purchased the firm. Shortly after the sale, Northwestern decided to ramp up production and move Vassar Swiss back to Chicago. The company contracted real estate developer Stewart Hodges, a specialist in factory construction, to build a new plant, which Vassar Swiss would lease. Hodges chose a site on Diversy, near the rail lines and adjacent to the Maplewood station. Hodges also contracted his father-in-law, Lawrence G. Hallberg, to design the new factory. A building permit was issued in September 1913, and construction was completed in April of the following year.
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comfortable, and cheaper to produce. Rutledge obtained a patent for his improved suit in 1900 and designed production equipment to produce it. That same year, he partnered with Emil A. Basener and
Frederick S. McCoy to form the Vassar Swiss Underwear Company. Starting with $ 10,000 the trio set up a manufacturing operation in Chicago to produce Rutledge's union suits as well as other high-quality men's undergarments.
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Vassar Swiss prospered in its new location. Rutledge, now a vice-president at parent company
Northwestern, joined with other company designers to improve his original union suit design. In 1923, the company constructed an addition on the western portion of their building, again designed by Hallberg,
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After
Vassarette's departure, the building was purchased by the Frederick Cooper Lamp Company, a manufacturer of high-quality lamps. Cooper used the building as a manufacturing facility until 2005, when it closed down, selling its name to new ownership and sold the building to Baum Brothers LLC.
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industrial loft building, built in two architecturally identical sections that are seamlessly integrated. The original 1913 portion of the building is 160 feet (49 m) by 300 feet (91 m) and the 1923 addition is 103 feet (31 m) by 204 feet; the entire building houses 250,000 square
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was growing in popularity. Sensing an opportunity, Chicago native George E. Rutledge experimented with the design of the union suit, adding reinforcement for increased wear resistance and altering the weave and construction. His changes resulted in an improved suit that was less bulky, more
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soon became the company's leading product. Vassar Swiss purchased the building from
Stewart, after having leased it since construction. Rutledge retired in 1937. The company shortened its name to "Vassar Company" and, in 1951,
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The reinforced concrete construction can be easily seen in the exterior detailing, with obvious horizontal and vertical elements. Although the building is quite long, architectural emphasis on the vertical
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feet. The building is U-shaped in plan, with wings of unequal length backing onto the diagonal railroad track in the rear and flanking a narrow central courtyard.
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Baum began redeveloping the building into a space for small businesses dedicated to natural products and the environment, dubbing their project the
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ornamental detail, de-emphasizes the horizontal dimension of the building. The corner bays are further ornamented with taller pilaster
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The building is topped with a distinctive four-story tower concealing the roof water tank. The tower is constructed of brick,
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Over the next four decades, the company shifted focus and products. Union suits became less popular, and
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In 1903, with labor troubles looming, Vassar Swiss moved their production 80 miles (130 km) west to
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Detail of exterior, top northeast corner, showing ornamental pilaster capitals and decorative insets.
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Industrial buildings and structures on the
National Register of Historic Places in Chicago
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Facade from northwest, showing 1913 main building (left) and 1923 western addition (right)
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The Vassar Swiss
Underwear Company Building is an excellent example of a four-story
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University and college buildings listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
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293:. The company grew in size, and in 1912, Northwestern Knitting Company (later
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542:. City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development. February 7, 2008
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is an industrial loft building located at 2545 West
Diversey Avenue in
537:"Landmark Designation Report: Vassar Swiss Underwear Company Building"
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List of jails and prisons on the
National Register of Historic Places
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Vassar Swiss
Underwear Company Building just after construction, 1914
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in 2008, and as of 2010 is being redeveloped into the
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Images of the Vassar Swiss Underwear Company Building
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Lawrence G. Hallberg, Sr.; Lawrence G. Hallberg, Jr.
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
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Vassar Swiss Underwear Company Building Description
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330:. As of 2010, the redevelopment is unfinished.
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484:"In Chicago, a Haven for Green Enterprise"
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301:to house their box factory and shipping.
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443:. National Park Service. 2009-03-13.
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241:. It is also known as the
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171:41.93222°N 87.69306°W
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567:. Vanity Fair Brands
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150:Coordinates
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596:August 19,
571:August 19,
546:August 13,
458:|url=
423:References
311:Vassarette
283:union suit
162:87°41′35″W
159:41°55′56″N
945:Wisconsin
910:Tennessee
815:Minnesota
790:Louisiana
398:pilasters
203:Architect
1101:Category
930:Virginia
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765:Illinois
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730:Colorado
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449:cite web
406:capitals
218:07000859
139:Location
1047:Related
950:Wyoming
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830:Montana
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410:parapet
885:Oregon
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710:Alaska
646:Topics
306:briefs
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915:Texas
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760:Idaho
540:(PDF)
195:Built
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920:Utah
875:Ohio
775:Iowa
598:2010
573:2010
548:2010
462:help
233:The
198:1914
187:Area
213:No.
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