Lab on Lake

This small-scale industrial building was constructed in the 1920s for the R.G. Haskins Portable Electronic Machinery Company. For many years, it was part of an industrial corridor that existed on Lake Street. After Haskins, a perfume company moved in and stayed through the late 1970s. A colorful East Garfield Park resident affectionately known as "Big Earl" purchased the building in the 1980s and since then, it has held a church, a nightclub and a homeless shelter. Currently, it is home to Lab on Lake, a flexible loft space available for rental for corporate, private or community events. Signs and murals from the building's past lives are displayed in the space.