Arnold, Schwinn & Company was established in Chicago in the last quarter of the year 1895. Over the years the company rented, purchased, and built several facilities in Chicago. This is the sixth in a series of posts about head office and factory locations in Chicago.

The 43rd Avenue plant was the first factory that Ignaz Schwinn built with the sole purpose of manufacturing bicycles. This was the main location for Arnold, Schwinn & Co. for most of the company’s existence in Chicago.

The building of this plant was begun in 1901 and completed in 1902. The location was adjacent to the March-Davis Company location which was purchased after bankruptcy. The site for the factory is immediately south of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail Road line which runs east-west on Bloomingdale Avenue.

The address for the new factory is an old format Chicago address. The address changes between 1901 and 1914 due to the numbering and naming standards of the City of Chicago.

There are several sketches of what I presume is the “original” factory. There is a chimney and a water tank. I have not found any street level photographs of this plant.

1917 Extension

In Motorcycle and Bicycle Illustrated trade news story about the 1,000,000 bicycle from the Kildare Avenue plant, printed in June of 1917. There is a note about an extension to the factory. The sketches of the factory in the story appear to show the factory without an extension.

The sketch above shows the Kildare Avenue plant with the extension.

There were several more additions to the Kildare Avenue plant over the years up to 1982 when the plant was closed.

The Kildare plant was Arnold, Schwinn & Company’s only bicycle manufacturing facility until 1972, when the renamed Schwinn Bicycle Company built Plant No. 4 began production of bicycle frames.

The next post in the series is about the Kostner Avenue plant, which in the late 20th Century and 21st Century is often confused with the Kildare Avenue plant.