Brown Shoe Company's Homes-Take Factory

Brown Shoe Company's Homes-Take Factory, also known as the International Hat Company Warehouse, is a historic building location at 1201 Russell Boulevard in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri. Built in 1904, by renowned architect Albert B. Groves, the building was originally a factory for the Brown Shoe Company, based in St. Louis. In 1954, the factory was subsequently converted into a warehouse by the International Hat Company. The site has been recognized as a testament to Grove's architectural expertise in the principles of factory design, namely technical advances in layout planning, operational efficiency, and employee safety. Additionally, the factory epitomizes the early 20th century cultural transformation and socio-industrial development of St. Louis into a manufacturing powerhouse. In particular, the Brown Shoe Company is recognized as a principal player in challenging the 19th century dominance of the New England shoe industry. This significantly contributed to the early 20th century sobriquet of St. Louis as the city of "shoes, booze, and blues." The Brown Shoe Company's Homes-Take factory is considered to be among the pioneering industrial facilities of this historic transformation.