oscar heineman silk company factory building undergoing demolition

the oscar heinemann silk factory began its construction in 1918. a four building complex, underground tunnels were built to allow workers to travel from building to building.  this specific sprawling addition, at the time, was commissioned for $100,000 - four stories, 125 x 125 ft, and enough room for 1,500 employees. with this expansion, oscar heinemann became the largest manufacturer of thrown silks in the united states. the building was equipped with modern machinery, and no expense was spared to provide the best possible working space for this hefty load of employees. the exterior of the building was finished with buff brick and bedford limestone trim, sills and cornice for an attractive finish. the general contractor was r.c. wieboldt, whose firm  is noted for its part in erecting many prominent chicago buildings, including union station and the shedd aquarium. the architectural engineering features, together with supervision of construction were carried out by the chicago office of lockwood, greene & company, engineers.

likely due to the heinemann factory's tumultuous history surrounding strikes, walk-outs, and sit ins fueled by unsafe labor conditions, the company was eventually bought by aetna industrial corporation in the late 40s, and in 1954 they sold off most of the textile equipment. prior to their contemporary reiteration as live and work spaces,  the henri fayette-chayson's stationery and greeting card company also called the oscar heinemann silk factory home.

update as of 2-6-2018: additional artifacts recovered from the factory's demolition shown below. 

wilcox fire door rollers

fire sprinkler pressure gauges with bronze bezels.

water sprinkler system informational plaques.