The Rath Meat Packing Plant was built on this site in 1891, though most of the present buildings date from the years 1927–1937. The lowness of the complex of two-story-plus brick buildings is countered by the vertical thrust of the tall industrial chimneys. The complex does not openly convey any intentional design concept; instead it makes its aesthetic case through its signage and the pragmatic design of its utilitarian buildings.