Historic Address – 10 S Batavia Avenue

A Batavia Landmark, this is the site of the C.W. Shumway & Sons company founded in 1872. Charles W. Shumway created the business to meet the demand for metal castings for Chicago’s rebuilding after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. Over the years, various partners joined and left the company which took its final name in 1904 after his second son joined the business.

The company began with producing iron castings exclusively, including iron pillars for buildings. In 1895, they started producing castings for furnaces, water heaters, sewing machines, and other kinds of machines. By 1920, the company diversified into making ventilators, chimney clean-out doors, grates, and other products.

The foundry was renowned for producing the cast that was used for the Oscar statuettes for the Academy Awards, the Emmy Awards, and football’s Vince Lombardi Trophy.

In 2002, the foundry was closed due to changing trends in the market, including the increased use of precision casting. The foundry’s buildings were demolished in 2007