Campana Factory
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Campana Factory
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| Location | Roughly along Illinois Route 31 and Fabyan Pkwy., Batavia, Kane County, Illinois, United States |
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| Coordinates | 41°51′54″N 88°18′58″W / 41.86500°N 88.31611°WCoordinates: 41°51′54″N 88°18′58″W / 41.86500°N 88.31611°W |
| Built | 1936 |
| Architect | Frank D. Chase; Childs and Smith |
| Architectural style | Streamline Moderne, Bauhaus |
| NRHP Reference # | 79000841 |
| Added to NRHP | April 6, 1979 |
The Campana Factory is a historic building in Batavia, Illinois. It was built in 1936 to serve as a factory for The Campana Company, which produced Italian Balm, the most popular hand lotion in the United States during The Great Depression. The Streamline Moderne and Bauhaus building features many innovative technologies, such as air conditioning. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
The Campana Company was a manufacturer of hand lotion, most notably Italian Balm, and other beauty products. Despite the economic hardships of The Great Depression, Campana was prosperous due to an aggressive radio advertising campaign featuring commercials on several hit shows, including The First Nighter Program. Campana also advertised by mailing millions of free samples to potential customers. The company was successful enough to warrant a new factory in 1936. The factory was intended to use the latest technologies and architectural styles to promote its products.
The Bauhaus and Art Deco inspired building was three stories tall with a central tower rising 100 feet (30 m). The building is in a long, horizontal block, and the third story is half as long as the other two. The floors alternate between tile and glass brick with no mullions. The glass bricks provide interior lightning in lieu of full windows. Horizontal bands of turquoise tile stretch around the building, with vertical bands rising up the tower. The Campana logo is written in gold leaf above the main entrance and in a large, red neon sign near the top of the tower.
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