Vassar Swiss Underwear Company Building
Encyclopedia
The Vassar Swiss Underwear Company Building is an industrial loft building located at 2545 West Diversey Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. It is also known as the Cooper Lamp Building and as of 2010 is slated to house the Green Exchange
, a combination business incubator and office space. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2008, and as of 2010 is being redeveloped into the Green Exchange
, a site for small businesses dedicated to natural products and the environment.
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 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.
In 1903, with labor troubles looming, Vassar Swiss moved their production 80 miles (128.7 km) west to Rochelle, Illinois
. The company grew in size, and in 1912, Northwestern Knitting Company (later Munsingwear) 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.
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, to house their box factory and shipping.
Over the next four decades, the company shifted focus and products. Union suits became less popular, and briefs
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, "Vassarette
." In 1967, production operations were moved from Chicago to Paris, Texas
, and as of 2010 the Vasarette name is owned by Vanity Fair Brands, and produces women's underwear.
. As of 2010, the redevelopment is unfinished.
industrial loft building, built in two architecturally identical sections that are seamlessly integrated. The original 1913 portion of the building is 160 feet (48.8 m) by 300 feet (91.4 m) and the 1923 addition is 103 feet (31.4 m) by 204 feet; the entire building houses 250,000 square 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.
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 pilasters, capping them with stylized Arts and Crafts
ornamental detail, de-emphasizes the horizontal dimension of the building. The corner bays are further ornamented with taller pilaster capitals
projecting through the parapet
, and inset stones above the windows.
The building is topped with a distinctive four-story tower concealing the roof water tank. The tower is constructed of brick, terra cotta
, and concrete, and is topped with a stepped parapet. It originally had a clock on each face.
Green Exchange
The Green Exchange is a sustainable and green retail and office development project in the Logan Square community area of Chicago, Illinois that is designed to house more than one hundred eco-friendly businesses and organizations within a single building...
, a combination business incubator and office space. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2008, and as of 2010 is being redeveloped into the Green Exchange
Green Exchange
The Green Exchange is a sustainable and green retail and office development project in the Logan Square community area of Chicago, Illinois that is designed to house more than one hundred eco-friendly businesses and organizations within a single building...
, a site for small businesses dedicated to natural products and the environment.
Vassar Swiss Underwear Company
Near the end of the 19th century, the form-fitting union suitUnion suit
A union suit is a type of one-piece long underwear. Created in Utica, New York, United States, it originated as women's wear during the 19th-century United States clothing reform efforts, as an alternative to constricting garments, and soon gained popularity among men as well...
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 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.
In 1903, with labor troubles looming, Vassar Swiss moved their production 80 miles (128.7 km) west to Rochelle, Illinois
Rochelle, Illinois
Rochelle is a city in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,574 at the 2010 census, up from 9,424 at the 2000 census. Rochelle is about west of Chicago and south of Rockford...
. The company grew in size, and in 1912, Northwestern Knitting Company (later Munsingwear) 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.
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, to house their box factory and shipping.
Over the next four decades, the company shifted focus and products. Union suits became less popular, and briefs
Briefs
Briefs are a type of short, tight underwear and swimwear, as opposed to styles where the material extends down the legs.In the case of men's underwear, briefs, unlike boxer shorts, hold the wearer's genitals in a relatively fixed position, which make briefs a popular underwear choice for men who...
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, "Vassarette
Vassarette
Vassarette is a brand of women's underwear owned by Vanity Fair Brands. Their lines include bras, stockings and lingerie, and they were previously a major manufacturer of girdles. Originally advertised discreetly in ladies' magazines, they have more recently advertised on prominent and sometimes...
." In 1967, production operations were moved from Chicago to Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas is a city located northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Lamar County, Texas, in the United States. It is situated in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods. Physiographically, these regions are part of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. In 1900, 9,358 people lived...
, and as of 2010 the Vasarette name is owned by Vanity Fair Brands, and produces women's underwear.
Later Building History
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. Baum began redeveloping the building into a space for small businesses dedicated to natural products and the environment, dubbing their project the Green ExchangeGreen Exchange
The Green Exchange is a sustainable and green retail and office development project in the Logan Square community area of Chicago, Illinois that is designed to house more than one hundred eco-friendly businesses and organizations within a single building...
. As of 2010, the redevelopment is unfinished.
| Images of the Vassar Swiss Underwear Company Building |
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Vassar Swiss Underwear Company Building Description
The Vassar Swiss Underwear Company Building is an excellent example of a four-story reinforced concreteReinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
industrial loft building, built in two architecturally identical sections that are seamlessly integrated. The original 1913 portion of the building is 160 feet (48.8 m) by 300 feet (91.4 m) and the 1923 addition is 103 feet (31.4 m) by 204 feet; the entire building houses 250,000 square 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.
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 pilasters, capping them with stylized Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
ornamental detail, de-emphasizes the horizontal dimension of the building. The corner bays are further ornamented with taller pilaster capitals
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
projecting through the parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
, and inset stones above the windows.
The building is topped with a distinctive four-story tower concealing the roof water tank. The tower is constructed of brick, terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
, and concrete, and is topped with a stepped parapet. It originally had a clock on each face.