Century-old Grayslake Gelatin Company buildings coming down in Grayslake
The Grayslake Gelatin Company, a landmark of the village's industrial past and its longest running manufacturing business, is coming down.
Asbestos and lead paint were removed in advance of the ongoing demolition of the building and a neighboring cannery, where for 60 years the blasts of the company whistle, especially at 5 p.m., were part of the fabric of life in a small town.
"That industry was the backbone of Grayslake for many years. During the Depression, it still employed people. It never closed," said Charlotte Renehan, a lifelong resident, president of the Grayslake Historical Society and curator of the municipal history museum.
"It's sad to see the era go."
Still visible is the towering smokestack with 'Grayslake' painted along its length. Also remaining are the initials of the Wisconsin Condensed Milk Co., which built the brick factory in 1912. Renehan fears that, too, will be removed, but village officials say otherwise.
"The smokestack will not be torn down with the demolition," Assistant Village Manager Kevin Timony said. "The village is exploring options for preserving this and incorporating it into future plans for the site."
Those plans have not been determined but discussion will continue in 2017, he added.
The condensed milk company closed in 1919 and the business sold to Nestle Food Co. Nestle wasn't in the picture long, selling the facility in 1922 to Harry Epstein, who had innovated the gelatin making process to use pig skin rather than hides and bones as a raw material.
This produced a superior grade of gelatin, a thickener commonly used in desserts but also in cooking, brewing and other nonfood products.
Grayslake Gelatin remained a family-owned business until the manufacturing plant closed for good in 1982. The village last year bought the 10-acre site for $30,000. This past September officials authorized contracts not to exceed $176,000 to M&O Environmental Company for predemolition work and $367,800 with T.R.B. Inc., to remove the dilapidated buildings.
Those include the gelatin factory, an adjoining cannery the company incorporated in its operations and an office. Demolition is expected to take about 90 days.
The village explored the option of recovering the buildings but nothing was deemed salvageable.
"The village's architectural consultant has determined the buildings cannot be saved and have severely deteriorated and are structurally unsound, creating a hazard," Timony said.
Renehan, 82, was raised next to the gelatin factory and crossed the grounds on her way to school. She said a museum program earlier this year on the plant drew a standing room only audience of about 100.
"Many of us are very concerned about the smokestack. We feel it's the icon of Grayslake," she said. "Times change, but as a historian, I want a part of that history to be saved."
Timony said the site is considered a "central property in the Village Center" but nothing has been finalized.