Schulze Baking Company Plant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Schulze Baking Company Plant
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Schulze Baking Company Factory (c.1914-15)
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 Location in Greater Chicago
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| Location | 40 East Garfield Boulevard (Garfield Boulevard and Wabash Avenue) Chicago, Illinois |
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| Built | 1913 |
| Architect | John Ahlschlager & Son |
| NRHP reference No. | 82000393 |
| Added to NRHP | November 12, 1982 |
The Schulze Baking Company Plant is a large factory building. It is located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. You can find it at 40 East Garfield Boulevard in the Washington Park area.
This building was constructed in 1914. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 12, 1982. The Schulze Baking Company originally used it. Later, it became the place where Hostess Brands made their Butternut Bread until 2004.
The outside of the building is made of terra cotta. It has special designs that remind people of the famous architect Louis Sullivan. The floors inside were originally made of strong concrete. In the early 2000s, the building started to look old and worn out. But in 2016, a plan was made to fix it up. It is now being changed into a data center, which is a place that stores a lot of computer information.
Where is the Schulze Plant Located?
The building sits between Washington Park and the Dan Ryan Expressway. This part of Garfield Boulevard used to have many important businesses. These included the Schulze Baking Company and the Wanzer Milk Company.
For a long time, this area faced economic challenges. However, the Hostess company kept using the building to make Butternut Bread. This made it one of the few big businesses left in that part of the city.
The Story of Schulze Baking Company
The Schulze Baking Company was famous for its Butternut Bread. Eventually, it became part of Hostess Brands. At one point, Schulze was the biggest wholesale business in Chicago. Wholesale means selling large amounts of products to other businesses, not directly to customers.
Some records say the company started in 1927. But many other historical accounts disagree. They say that Paul Schulze and his brothers began the Schulze Baking Company in 1893. Paul Schulze was even the president of a national bakers' association around 1910.
Before this big plant was built in 1914, the company already had four bakeries in Chicago. Their main offices were in the Chicago Stock Exchange Building. In the 1910s, the company had to go to court often. They wanted to protect their special trademarks, which are like unique symbols or names for their products.
In 1921, Paul Schulze sold his control of the company to Ralph Leroy Nafziger. In 1930, Nafziger announced a big merger. Schulze Baking joined with Western Bakeries of Los Angeles to create Interstate Bakeries. Schulze and Western kept their own names for a while. But in 1937, Schulze officially became part of Interstate Bakeries. Paul Schulze then started smaller bakeries under a different name.
What Does the Schulze Building Look Like?
The Schulze Baking Company building is a white structure. It was designed by John Ahlschlager in 1914. The outside walls, made of terra cotta, are five stories high.
The building used to have blue letters and fancy designs. These designs included leaf-like patterns and rows of rosettes, which look like flowers. It has about 700 windows. These windows are grouped together to match the nature-themed designs. The building's style is considered modern and similar to the work of Louis Sullivan.
The company used special conveyors to move things around. These were made by the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company. Behind the main five-story building, there is a long, low industrial section.
The building's floors are flat concrete slabs. They were designed to be very strong. In the late 2000s, the building showed signs of wear. Some of the decorative terra cotta pieces were missing. There were even walkways built to protect people from falling debris. One wall needed wooden beams to hold it up. There was also some graffiti on the building.
However, in 2016, a developer named Ghian Foreman announced good news. The old Schulze Baking Company plant was being fixed up. It was turning into a data center called the Midway Technology Center. This project involved a large investment of over $130 million. It was expected to be ready for use in 2017. This project is a great example of adaptive reuse, which means giving an old building a new purpose.
