Swedish American Telephone Company Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Swedish American Telephone Company Building
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 Location in Chicago metropolitan area
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| Location | 5235--5257 N. Ravenswood, Chicago, Illinois |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1895 |
| NRHP reference No. | 85002286 |
| Added to NRHP | September 13, 1985 |
The Swedish American Telephone Company Building is a cool old building in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago. It was built a long time ago, in the late 1890s. What makes it special is its fancy outside, which was unusual for factories back then.
Over the years, it was home to three different companies. First, it housed Betz & Co., a medical supplier. Then, the Swedish American Telephone Company used it to make phones. Finally, Denoyer-Geppert Co. made maps and educational items there. This building is an important part of Chicago's history.
Contents
Building's Story
Early Days in Edgewater
In 1868, a company bought a large piece of land in Edgewater. This land was next to the Chicago & North Western railroad tracks. The railroad already had stops nearby.
By 1875, a new train stop called Summerdale opened close to where the building now stands. People planned to build homes there. The area was first called Andersenville by Norwegian settlers. Later, Swedish settlers changed the name to Andersonville.
First Big Factory
The Swedish American Telephone Company Building was the very first large factory in the Andersonville area. It created many jobs for people. Because of the factory, more homes were built nearby.
This building started a trend. Soon, other factories were built along the railroad tracks. It became an important area for businesses.
Betz & Co.
The first company in the building was Frank Betz & Co. Frank Betz had lost his money in a tough economic time in 1893. But he quickly started a new business. He made bath cabinets.
In 1899, he wanted to make more things. He decided to supply hospitals and doctors with equipment. This meant he needed a bigger factory. So, he built a three-story building here. In 1901, he added it to two other buildings. This created the large factory you see today. By 1904, Betz & Co. needed even more space. They moved to a new location.
Swedish American Telephone Company
In 1894, a special rule about telephones ended. This meant many new companies could start making phones. The Swedish American Telephone Company was one of them. They mostly sold their phones to the Chicago Telephone Co.
In 1902, a company called Stromberg-Carlson bought Swedish American. Then, another company bought Stromberg-Carlson in 1903. By 1905, the Swedish American Telephone Company needed a bigger place to make their products. They moved into the building that Betz & Co. had just left.
Denoyer-Geppert Company
The next company to use the building was the Denoyer-Geppert Company. They moved in during 1923. They were famous for making pull-down maps for classrooms. You might have seen them in your school!
They also made models of human body parts for medical schools. And they created educational film strips. In 1984, a big map company called Rand McNally bought Denoyer-Geppert. Soon after Denoyer-Geppert moved out, the building was recognized as a historic place. The National Park Service added it to the National Register of Historic Places.
