Last updated: August 8, 2023
Place
General Ice Cream Corporation Factory
Photograph by Andrea Zlotucha Kozub, courtesy of New York State Historic Preservation Office
Quick Facts
Location:
112-120 Wilkinson St. and 212 Barker Ave., Syracuse, New York
Significance:
Architecture, Industry
Designation:
Listed in the National Register - Reference number 100005472
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
MANAGED BY:
Private
The General Ice Cream Corporation Factory in Syracuse, New York, was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. It is significant in Syracuse as a long-time manufacturer and employer, as well as its Art Deco design.
The Syracuse Ice Cream Company, which later joined the General Ice Cream Corporation, was created in 1909. The company expanded rapidly in the 1920s, as did the rest of the ice cream industry. Ice cream producers benefitted greatly from Prohibition, as bars were replaced by soda fountains and many breweries became ice creameries. As Americans sought to expand their new indulgence, companies like the Syracuse Ice Cream Company pioneered pre-packaged novelty ice creams, which allowed consumers to enjoy ice cream at home rather than solely at soda fountains.
The Syracuse Ice Cream Company merged with other ice cream producers in the area to become the General Ice Cream Corporation in 1925, and merged with Kraft in 1928 (but continued to operate under its own name for decades). By the 1930s, however, the ice cream industry was in decline, as Americans spent less on non-essential goods and as Prohibition was repealed.
The Syracuse factory was built in 1935 to produce the new flavors of ice cream that General Ice Cream introduced to boost sales. The factory was designed to allow the public to observe the production of Fro-Joy and Sealtest items, complete with an observation windows and a walkway over the factory space. The factory shut down production permanently in 1988.
The Syracuse Ice Cream Company, which later joined the General Ice Cream Corporation, was created in 1909. The company expanded rapidly in the 1920s, as did the rest of the ice cream industry. Ice cream producers benefitted greatly from Prohibition, as bars were replaced by soda fountains and many breweries became ice creameries. As Americans sought to expand their new indulgence, companies like the Syracuse Ice Cream Company pioneered pre-packaged novelty ice creams, which allowed consumers to enjoy ice cream at home rather than solely at soda fountains.
The Syracuse Ice Cream Company merged with other ice cream producers in the area to become the General Ice Cream Corporation in 1925, and merged with Kraft in 1928 (but continued to operate under its own name for decades). By the 1930s, however, the ice cream industry was in decline, as Americans spent less on non-essential goods and as Prohibition was repealed.
The Syracuse factory was built in 1935 to produce the new flavors of ice cream that General Ice Cream introduced to boost sales. The factory was designed to allow the public to observe the production of Fro-Joy and Sealtest items, complete with an observation windows and a walkway over the factory space. The factory shut down production permanently in 1988.