Reviving History: Blending the Past and Present through the McKee Button Factory
This drawing of the original/larger building was found among other artifacts in an original vault inside the McKee Button Factory. The site’s history is detailed in the National Register of Historic Places nomination.
What was once a bustling building with rows of gleaming machines, each meticulously shaping and molding pearl buttons has now been transformed into a modern-day office space that seamlessly captures and preserves one of Muscatine’s historical buildings.
The McKee Button Factory, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020 and helped to give Muscatine its nickname the Pearl Button Capital of the World, will soon be the home to new office space for KENT® Corporation, blending Muscatine’s past with its present.
“Our goal for this project was to preserve the building’s history and uniqueness to the button industry,” said KENT® Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs Rich Dwyer. “We worked closely with the state historic preservation office to bring the building back to life.”
Since purchasing the building in 2020, KENT® started brick by brick restoring the pearl button factory to its former glory. Fast forward to today, the building is still mostly made of its original brick. The roof, wood floors and plaster walls have been restored. Fifty-six of the original 211 windows were restored, and the remaining were sourced from another longtime Iowa business, Pella Windows. Many unique aspects of the building were preserved during construction, including a bank vault at the front of the building.
“Restoring this historic building has been an incredible journey for us,” explained Dwyer. “Discovering original artifacts such as a seven-foot wooden pulley used to operate the machinery and building drawings in an old vault have not only connected us to the rich history of Muscatine but also inspired us to blend the past with the future in our workspace. It's been a privilege to breathe new life into these storied walls and create a vibrant environment for our team."
This summer, brands such as Sqwincher®, Mrs. Wages®, and World’s Best Cat Litter® will move into the space bringing a century old building back to life.