{"nrhp_refnum":"07000859","name":"Vassar Swiss Underwear Company Building","other_names":["Cooper Lamp Building"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"2545 W. Diversey Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Chicago","county":"Cook County","state":"IL","lat":41.93176697400003,"lon":-87.69211952099994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2008-09-17","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story plus basement reinforced concrete and brick loft factory at 2545 W. Diversey Avenue in Chicago's Logan Square community, built in 1913-14 with a west addition in 1923-24, designed by L. G. Hallberg & Company.","why_significant":"It is tied to the Vassar Swiss Underwear Company and its successor Munsingwear, a nationally known maker of men's knit underwear, and it shows the importance of manufacturing to Chicago and Logan Square. It is also an early, significant example of flat slab reinforced concrete loft construction with simplified classical detailing by architect Lawrence G. Hallberg, Sr.","narrative":"Rising beside the Kennedy Expressway corridor in Chicago's Logan Square, this U-shaped factory at 2545 W. Diversey Avenue was built in 1913-14 for the Vassar Swiss Underwear Company and enlarged to the west in 1923-24. Architect L. G. Hallberg & Company designed both phases, which are indistinguishable from one another. The structure is brick-clad reinforced concrete with a flat slab mushroom column system, exposed concrete pilasters, and a tall tower that once concealed a water tank and held clocks. Vassar Swiss made men's union suits and was acquired by the Northwestern Knitting Company, later known as Munsingwear, before returning to Chicago from Rochelle. The plant operated on this site for over 50 years. It qualifies for its link to Chicago's garment manufacturing and as an early example of flat slab concrete loft construction, reflecting early twentieth-century experimentation in industrial design. The building is now vacant.","period_of_significance":"1913-1956","architect_builder":"Hallberg, Sr., Lawrence G.; Hallberg, Jr., Lawrence G. (L. G. Hallberg & Company)","architectural_style":"Other (monumental loft industrial building with simplified classical detailing)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Current function is listed as vacant/not in use. The exterior structural system and detailing remain in excellent condition, though most original windows were replaced in the 1940s.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:37.591931-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/24/8924/28892424/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_IL/07000859.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/07000859/a1792af1e0-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/07000859/a1792af1e0-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Andrew Jameson","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VassarSwissUnderwearCoBldgChicagoE.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Andrew Jameson</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VassarSwissUnderwearCoBldgChicagoE.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/28892424","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vassar_Swiss_Underwear_Company_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7916914"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/illinois/cook-county/vassar-swiss-underwear-company-building-07000859/"}