Backyard Silos
Near 51st and Hoyne stands the Fleischmann-Kurth Malting Company, which was once “one of the largest suppliers of malt for the American beer industry” according to some random factoid I found online. Actually, I should say “stood”, since demolition of the complex began late last year and is now nearly complete. All that is left are the impressive grain silos, and those were half gone last time I visited.
Above: Fleishmann-Kurth Malting, 2008 aerial view, via maps.google.com. The grain silos are visible in the upper left part of the complex. Below: the same silos, October 2009. The rest of the complex has already been demolished.
Industrial sites are often separated from residential areas by by a buffer zone of railyards or other physical barriers. What always struck me about Fleischmann was that it was surrounded by small homes, in some cases directly across the street from a 120 foot tall (or so–I’m just guessing here) grain silo. Imagine looking out your front window every morning and all you can see is a massive concrete structure blocking your view.
December 2008
May 2009
From 51th Street, the silos rising up out of this otherwise residential block almost looked like an industrial castle overlooking the surrounding kingdom. I’ll miss seeing them there, though I doubt that the neighbors will.
In case you were wondering: all of these photos (except for the middle two) were taken on October 4, 2009.
We lived in front of those silos on 51 Place till 1988, our house is the one with the cream colored siding and matching garage. My dad and I stopped there after the auto show in February 2010 and the silos were down to the roof top level of our house. There is nothing left south behind the silos back to 52 Street. Thats our garage behind the fence from the picture facing south on 51 Street.
Thanks for the comment. I went by here a few weeks ago and yea, all that was left were the stumps of the former silos. The people in your old house will finally have a view from their front window.