Update: See Crunden-Martin in the spring of 2020 here. I went back in October of 2021.
What a huge company Crunden-Martin must have been back in the day, occupying all of these massive buildings.
But then a fire ripped through one of the buildings, which is still gutted, as you can see. I don’t think the building is beyond saving.
But as I said back in 2014, the beautiful industrial buildings are still waiting for investors to come in and save them from further deterioration.
For anyone wondering, Crunden-Martin was a manufacturer of wooden and metal household goods from 1891-1990. The complex was purchased in 1992 at auction for $90,000 (that’s 18 cents per square foot). The fire was in 2011 in building #5.
My mom worked at Crunden Martin in the 40’s when she was a teenager. She stuffed colored Easter grass into bags and then placed the bag on a scale to check weight before sending them down the line for sealing. She said the “girls” that worked the line developed the ability to grab just the right amount of Easter grass to fill the bag so they didn’t waste time pulling over/underweight bags back.
Wow, thanks for sharing, Jan!
Great series… I appreciate the work you do.
We moved away from St Louis during the “Great Flood of ’93,” and I enjoy stopping by your blog every week or so for pictures/info/updates from “home.” Some encouraging, others not so much.
As a fan of architecture, transportation and yes, old train lines and St. Louis railroad history, I really appreciate your time and efforts. Thanks!
Thank you, Paul!