For four years I have been staring out the window of Pine Street Art Works at what was surely the ugliest section of a building in the city of Burlington, VT : the pink cinder block wing of the Maltex Building.
The Maltex building itself is one of the handsomest buildings in town, so it was particularly irksome. It looked like a big pink band aid. I've groused about it nonstop, so when renovation started on it a couple of months ago, I was delighted.
Maltex Building, Burlington, VT, wing renovation. Feb. 2010. Photo Liza Cowan
I'll take corrugated metal and wood over pink cinder block any day. I'm not in love with it - I wish it were better integrated with the 19th Century brick building, but at this point, it's so much better than the band-aid that I'm happy. I'm sure it was a challenge turning a cinder block box into anything aesthetically pleasing.
We here in Burlington's South End are proud of our industrial history, and love the architecture left by those industries. Many of the buildings have been retrofitted, gone green and are re-purposed for retail, offices, artist's studios, and light manufacturing. Our neighbor, Dealer.Com, will be moving their annex into this new space soon.
Renovation on wing of Maltex Building, Burlington, VT. February, 2010. Photo Liza Cowan
Built in 1870, the Maltex Building was the factory headquarters of the Malted Cereal Company, later known as Maltex, which produced cereal and other malted products through the early 1970s. The company was famous for its maple-flavored cereal called Maypo. The building was built by William J. Van Patten, president of the company and a prominent citizen who also served as mayor of Burlington and a state senator. Van Patten was a seriously busy man:(note that in addition to Malted Cereal Company and all the others, he was also a partner at Wells Richardson & Co.
Mr. Van Patten came to Burlington in 1864 and was in the retail drug trade with A. C. Spear for four years. In 1868, he became connected with the wholesale drug house of Henry and Company. In 1872 he became a partner in the firm of Wells, Richardson & Co., later being made secretary and still later, treasurer of that company.
Mr. Van Patten held many offices of importance in the city having been president of the Champlain Manufacturing company; president of the Malted Cereals Co., director of the Queen City Cotton Co., and president of the Burlington Building and Loan Association.
He was actively interested in the municipal affairs of the city having been mayor in 1894-5. In 1906 he was state senator from Chittenden county. He had been from 1903 to 1911, chairman of the Board of Park Commissioners; chairman of the board of cemetery commissioners from 1898-1911; a trustee of the Fletcher Free Library and of the Mary Fletcher Hospital; president of the Forestry Association of Vermont for two years. He had long been a member of the First Congregational Church. He had been president of the Y.M.C.A., and a director of it for years. He had been a president of the United Society Christian Endeavor for four years; director of the National Brotherhood of Congregational church and World's Christian Endeavor Union. He was president of the Burlington Commercial Club for two years; a member of the Algonquin Club; of the Vermont Fish and Game League; Vermont Society, Sons of the American Revolution and the Society of Colonial Wars in Vermont.
In recent years he had been actively engaged in the Malted Cereals company of which he was president and manager." Source
Pine Street, Burlington, looking North, 1913. Maltex Building on the left. UVM collections. Across the street is the building that was the AE Whiting Company and now houses Pine Street Art Works (flanked by Fresh Market and Speeder & Earl's)
Maltex Building. Circa 1950. You can see the "band aid" wing on the right.
Blotter, giveaway from Maltex. Pine Street Art Works ephemera collections
At its peak, Maltex was producing up to 300 cases of cereal a day, and was a desirable place of employment at the turn of the century. Employees were treated well and had access to affordable lunches and other benefits rarely granted to employees of that era. Later, Maltex was acquired by another company and the building became home to other industries. Then in 1984, a federal grant helped to transform it into a thriving business haven filled with historic high-ceilinged office space and light manufacturing facilities. Maltex Building Website
Maltex cereal special insert. Pine Street Art Works ephemera collections
Maltex is most famous for Maypo, the maple flavored hot cereal. In 1956 the Maltex company was bought out by Heublein,Inc. and the new owners needed business losses to offset gains. They hired Faith and John Hubley (creators of Mr. Magoo and zillions of other amazing animated cartoons ) to do their TV ads. Faith Hubely writes:
"They didn't want it to be successful, which is why they hired us. They were a liquor company; they made mixers for drinks or something like that. Maybe vodka. I don't remember, but whatever it was, they bought the Maypo company to offset their profits. So they asked us to make an anti-commercial, where the child hates the product. I don't think that's ever happened before. It's like Christmas in July, and it's just terribly funny. So we finished it and gave it to them, and we were well-paid. We had a contract you wouldn't believe. We owned everything, we had all the rights, and, because we had used our son [Mark], they couldn't do any advertising without our permission. So the damn thing takes off, and they are fit to be tied! They had to keep making more. They tried to make the product taste better: It was a healthy cereal, and they wanted to add sugar coating. It was unstoppable. So much for advertising. When people try to make things to sell, it ain't necessarily so. But if you make something out of truth..."
