The eponymous Algonquin Toy Factory is located in Algonquin, Illinois. I have had trouble locating detailed information about this location. I am interested in dates of operation, what was produced here and the company’s history. If you have any detailed information please leave it it the comments section.
Research:
You know, I always had the same question. That was until I opened one of the file cabinets on the main floor and found several blank company report papers inside. They were labeled “Sverdrup Corporation”. I took a note and when I went home I did some research and this is what I found:
“Sverdrup Corporation is a broad-based engineering firm offering professional services in civil engineering and facilities, technology, and real estate development within the United States and abroad, boasting engineering experience in 65 countries.”
There’s more, of course, but nothing too interesting. And yea, it’s not really a “toy factory” as people like to call it. I’ve looked for the factory’s years of operation but have failed to turn anything up. Your best bet would be to ask a local resident who has lived there for years.
Well, I hoped this helped. Nice photography by the way. : )
Thanks for the tip! I’ll have to see what comes up when researching the Sverdrup Corporation. It is possible that the company occupying the factory may have done contract work with Sverdrup. I have found invoices from other companies in other factories. I wanted to stick around and talk to the locals, but was pressed for time.
Let me know if you find anything else!
ive been here before in 2008 during the founders day festival. me and my 2 friends went inside but we didnt know anything about the place or what it was or how dangerous it was.
do you know of any information on this place?
oh. i forgot to mention that this was the old toastmaster factory and was closed because of a fire. and i just read that they want to tear it down within the next year, which i need to get in there before that happens. people often say that it was an insane asylum, but i only heard people around algonquin saying that. i live in algonquin and havent heard anything major in the 15 years ive lived here. the building is more than 100 years old. there is an article about 2 arson fires there and its where it says its over 100 years old. (http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=282932)
The “Toy Crib” Factory, which gained it’s name from a blue awning previously having the words “Toy Crib” printed across it originated as a dairy plant known for importing and exporting goods via railroad. After it’s demise, it became an area for storage and shipment. Once that shut down in the early 1990’s, it has been a huge target for explorers and thrill seekers. Due to major health violations and safety factors, actions have been taken to arrange a date to demolish this foundation in the near future.
some of my photos of this place are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lizziemurder/sets/72157623960871258/
Thanks for the comments! I’ll have to dig deeper with the information you provided.
I may have a lead for you folks…
I just visited the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC. In the laundry room there I found a “Simplex Maytag” laundry press I would guess was used to press the laundry of the Vanderbilt’s. It was dated 1902 from Algonquin, Illinois. I grew up in Barrington and have always loved the area there. It is really sad to me history is not better kept. I once saw a picture of a pile of oyster shells with men around it in a postcard and the caption read that Algonquin was the oyster capitol of the world with many of them shipped to Paris, France. The shells were punched out on a machine to be used as buttons in clothing.
tht place is sooo freaky! my friend found a toy clown in there n it was all burnt so we ran out
I was in there yesterday. It looks to be some sort of roofing and interior factory. On the second floor there’s a catalogue for the different types of flooring offered. Also, I found a note on the floor dated 1983 from a man named Weber who was responding to some sort of complaint and offering a new type of siding.
I sent you a message via e-mail Mac. Thanks for the update. – ken
I’ve been there the past 3 weekends. everytime i go it looks more destroyed. The ppl are demolishing it and it’s sad becuase i love to go there.
I’ll take many pictures while i still can. But it’s not gunna be up for much longer. i’ve already fallen thru the floor.
You fell through the floor?! I hope you’re okay.
Send me a link if you publish the photos online.
this building burned down this morning. 🙁
Whhhhhhaaaaaaa? Do you have details?
http://www.suntimes.com/…/2811724,algonquin-fire-factory-101810.article
Today it just burned down at about 4:30 this morning!
yeah it burned down this morning i live the next town over
that place burnt down today 10/18/2010
yeah, i live a couple of blocks away, up the hill by neubert and i heard the sirens at like 5am and saw helicopters all morning.
O noes!
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20101018/news/710199997/
Yes it unfortunately burned down this morning. i used to go there as a teenager. it was kinda our hang out. an illegal hangout but still our hang out. its depressing to know its gone. we all knew it as the toy crib. but apparently it was a toastmaster building and they made applaiances and shell casings. the buildng is old as dirt but its been closed for at least ten years. i drove by this morning and the smoke and everything was insane. so many firetrucks and police officers were around. i read they had to bring 14 firestations in to help. i drove by again at 7pm after work and they were still working on putting it out. i hope they figure out soon what caused it. i definitely would like to know considering i have ALOT of memories there.
[…] commenter notified American Urbex that the abandoned factory in Algonquin, IL went up in flames early this morning. Firefighters responded to the scene around 4:40 am on Monday, […]
It actually started as Bordens Milk Factory when it first opened. The train tracks that led up to it made it easier for shipping. I heard it used to be a toy factory some time after that. Then around the 80’s it was a Toastmaster factory. It has had 2 fires and the last one burnt it to the ground. The village or someone wanted to make a bypass there for a long time so i don’t think it was an accident or some kids. Now they can make the bypass. Which sucks.
Unfortunately, they did finally tear it down, just last year. I didn’t even get to explore one more time, but the last time I went there with a group of friends, we went in through the crawl space next to the truck entrances and all the way up to the roof. There were animals in there growling at us as well, foxes and something else. When we went up to the third floor, there was one giant room where the roof was caved in so much that we climbed up it and onto the roof. Still couldn’t figure out how to get to the ‘tower’ part of the building. The third floor, by the way, was dead silent when we were there, even the air was still and it was open to the night sky because of the caved in roof. Couldn’t even hear the traffic on 31 and Algonquin. Wish I had the pictures of the place still, I was so cool, too bad it’s gone now.
I took photos of this building in spring 2010 and it had part of a name painted spelling”XIRDNER”. Unfortunately I did not get the whole name-the building just caught my eye to photograph. This was the back side of the building facing the railroad tracks aka bike path.
I have been researching but nothing comes up.
This building: in about 1999/2000 I was looking at a plan to redevelop this building into a mult-use product that would have condo’s upstairs, shops and work-out facility on the main floor, and inside parking. I forget the particulars even though I still have the drawings (existing and planned) but what w do remember was that the guy who posed as the “owner” was in fact not really the owner. He skipped off with the $5000 deposit. The money’s for the development were by a developer, for which I was there General Contractor. The engineering firm that had worked on the design claimed that the TALL TOWER portion of the building was in fact a “Shot Tower”. A shot tower is used for making ammunition…something about the dropping of material down and it passes thru something which then creates the shape. Something like that. Anyways, at the time of this prelimary assessment phase for this planned development, it was rented out to many business’s and shops, although there was multitude of empty space not used