c. 1920’s art deco style bunte candy factory building nickel-plated interior lobby bronze metal staircase newel posts with ball finials – schmidt, garden & martin, architects

About This Item

matching set of original c. 1921 american machine age interior entrance lobby staircase freestanding newel posts salvaged from the bunte candy factory building, which was considered the largest prairie school building ever constructed. the massive brick and limestone complex was designed by the architectural firm of schmidt, garden & martin. the factory was later converted into a high school in 1969, eight years after the bunte candy co. moved out. the entire complex was razed in 2008 to make way for an athletic field and parking area for the new westinghouse college prep built across the street. the two newel posts are comprised of tubular bronze with original polished nickel-plated finish largely intact. the posts each contain graduating ball finials and angular folded and pressed panels affixed tightly against each post. the flanges contain pre-drilled holes for anchoring into the floor. in 1876, ferdinand bunte, gustav a. bunte, and charles a. spoehr started a candy manufactory on state street in chicago. after a few years, ferdinand’s son theodore w. bunte took charge of the business. by the 1910’s, when bunte bros. did annual sales of about $2.4 million, the company employed about 1,200 people. as late as the 1950’s, it had over 1,000 workers in its chicago plants. in 1954, bunte brothers candy co. was purchased by chase candy co. of st. joseph, missouri, and a new firm, bunte-chase, was created. in 1961, the firm closed the chicago plant, dropped the bunte name, and returned to st. joseph. priced for the pair. the tubular hand rail, support posts and wall railing are available. measure 40 x 16 x 5 inches.