[2] The industrial buildings were built piecemeal between 1917 and 1944 on the west side of the central business district.

The main building (1917) and its addition (1929) are located on the north side of Walnut Street, and the soap plant (1929 & 1942) and the soap plant annex (1944) are located on the south sides of Walnut Street.

The F. W. Fitch Company, which manufactured personal care products, occupied the buildings between 1917 and 1949.

[2] They and the Carl Weeks' Armand Co., a national cosmetics and perfume manufacturer, gave the city a reputation as a leader in the United States for the personal care products industry.

The country's changing grooming styles and the end of military contracts after World War II led to the company's demise.