Our history
A STORIED PAST
Strada 234, a stunning residential building in Boston’s West End, boasts a rich history dating back to the early 20th century. The building originally served as the Austin Biscuit Company factory, which later became the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company and subsequently the Sunshine Biscuit Company.
1902
John L. Loose, the company’s president, had previously served on the Board of Directors for Nabisco. In 1902, he founded the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company in Kansas City, MO, along with his brother Jacob S. Loose and business partner John H. Wiles. The Loose-Wiles factories were designed to maximize sunlight exposure, inspiring the name “Sunshine Biscuits”.
1909
By 1909, the Austin Biscuit Co. adopted the Loose-Wiles name and promoted itself as “the Bakery with a Thousand Windows.” The West End factory produced a variety of biscuits, including Sunshine Boston Grahams, Sunshine Butter Thins, Saltines, Afternoon Teas, Sugar Wafers, Fig Newtons, and Ginger Snaps.
1927
Factory workers at Loose-Wiles formed an Employees’ Mutual Benefit Association, providing sickness insurance and death benefits to their colleagues. In 1927, the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company acquired a large building at 250 Causeway Street, consolidating its operations along the street. Sunshine Biscuit was eventually acquired by Keebler in 1996 and Kellogg in 2001.
A BRIGHT FUTURE
In 2003, the historic building was repurposed and converted into privately owned condominiums, now known as Strada 234. The modern residential building in the heart of the city proudly carries it’s storied past, offering residents a unique blend of history and contemporary urban living.