A PLAN FOR. PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
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EGliEG! -' RRCd , •■CM— Prepared by the City of Milwaukee Department of City Development Michael L. Morgan Commissioner March 1, 1996 I A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT <8e PREFACE In the summer of 1990 a citizen task force was convened to examine a variety of planning issues important to the future of downtown Milwaukee. One of the topics addressed by this committee was the issue of preserving historic buildings downtown. This report summarizes the historic preservation policy recommendations of the Central Business District Planning Task Force with the intent that they be adopted as part of the city's downtown comprehensive planning process. The Task Force's recommendations on other planning issues will be addressed in a separate report Table of Contents Preface .... __1 Introduction ...... 2 Preservation Planning Downtown------__2 Preserving Historic Buildings Downtown------_4 Historic Preservation Planning Recommendations------__6 Recommendations „..7 Historic Designation------7 Zoning —7 Building Code Enforcement------.....8 Incentives to Encourage Historic Preservation------...... 8 Appendix A _10 National Register Structures _10 National Register Districts------_12 Appendix B _14 City Designated Structures------_14 City Designated Districts..... „16 Appendix C ...... 17 Potential Historic Structures------_17 Potential Historic Districts------_19 Appendix D _21 Downtown Historic Districts recommended for special zoning classification to ensure consistency with preservation and revitalization objectives------21 Downtown areas recommended for site plan overlay zoning to preserve neighborhood scale, density and character.------22 Appendix E______23 Historic Resources in Downtown Milwaukee...... 23 The Origins of Downtown...... 25 East Side Commercial Historic Area ...... 25 North Water Street Entertainment District 28 The Third Ward Historic Area------29 Plankinton-Wells-Water Street Historic Area...... 31 Old World Third Street Historic Area ...... 34 West Wisconsin Avenue Historic Area 36 Yankee Hill Historic Area 40 PAGE 1 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT * INTRODUCTION djbcu t £ I I Looking cast on Wisconsin Avenuefrom Water Street about 1(XX) preservation plays an important role in the PRESERVATION PLANNING life of downtown. DOWNTOWN I he preservation of historic buildings Planning for the future of downtown is has emerged in recent years as a legitimate only one component of the city’s overall component of our city’s planning mission to guide the growth and responsibilities and has taken its place development of the whole city for the alongside such traditional concerns as good of all of the residents of Milwaukee. zoning, traffic planning, and economic Since the central business district is development. This has happened because everyone’s neighborhood, it is in the best our leaders believe that if Milwaukee is to interests of all of the people of Milwaukee become a great American city in the 21st that it be economically vibrant and century, it must preserve those special physically attractive. In planning for places that make it a unique, interesting downtown, the city seeks to balance the and attractive place to live and work. Our needs of the owners to benefit from the city’s historic landmarks and districts rank use of their property with the desires of prominently among such special places. It the general populace to have an attractive is no coincidence that the cities that downtown with appealing physical regularly rank among the most desirable qualities and public amenities. Historic places to live, visit as tourists, and in which PAGE 2 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & W to locate businesses have realized this and result of its central location as the hub of have taken affirmative steps to preserve the city and its historic role as the major and revitalize the best of their past. focus of pioneer settlement, economic development, recreation, cultural life, and One of the goals of the Central civic affairs, the downtown contains a large Business District Planning Task Force was share of the city’s remaining historic to better integrate historic preservation into resources. We believe that now is the time the city’s overall downtown planning to act since leaving the fate of downtown to strategy. This is important because, as a random economic forces is likely to result II II Fl II II JI MB UUUUJJ □DO moo e fflDD ffiQDDm□□tramp ~ □□□E9nmBaa —a ii MIT 1 u r I QD A Milwaukee’s Central Business District PAGE 3 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT * in the loss of valuable historic resources, as activities that had cleared portions of it has in other communities, and rob downtown. In response to the growing Milwaukee of a potentially important public nostalgia for the disappearing face development asset: its unique and of old Milwaukee, the Common Council appealing old world character. created the Milwaukee Landmarks The current initiative seeks to , Commission in 1967 to confer identify strategies that will ,lj ; honorary designation on some of encourage reinvestment in Milwaukee’s more noteworthy historic buildings while buildings. Although the accommodating realistic > : Landmarks Commission opportunities for n e w could not protect buildings construction. It is our belief that from alteration or destruction, these goals are not necessarily its activities served to increase mutually exclusive. Because of public appreciation of the city's the concentration of historic historic resources. resources found there and the The heightened awareness inherent development pressures of the value of old buildings that that threaten their continued resulted from the activities of the existence, planning for the Milwaukee Landmarks preservation of historic buildings Commission and the downtown requires that special increasingly stringent federal mechanisms and incentives be regulations on the demolition of developed that are tailored to historic properties for federally the unique conditions found in assisted projects, led the city big city central business districts. In government to undertake an historical developing the recommendations architectural inventory of the city in 1979. contained in this report, we have adopted This inventory initiated the city’s effort to the position that historic buildings are comprehensively identify historic buildings resources that, if properly managed, have and to form a data base on the city's older the ability to enhance the economic, building stock. Public controversy over the physical, and cultural diversity of threatened demolition of well known local downtown Milwaukee. landmarks such as the Pabst Mansion, the Elizabeth Plankinton Mansion, and the PRESERVING HISTORIC Pabst Building finally led the city to pass BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN new historic preservation legislation in 1981 that created the Historic Interest in preserving historic buildings Preservation Commission. This body, in downtown Milwaukee is a relatively which replaced the old Landmarks recent phenomenon. In the later 1960s, Commission, is empowered to some people began to lament the passing recommend buildings and districts for of some well known downtown landmarks, designation by the Common Council and such as the Northwestern Railroad to regulate the alteration or demolition of Depot, and question the results of the designated structures. The Historic freeway building and urban renewal Preservation Commission has been the PAGE 4 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & core of the city’s historic preservation preservation and adaptive reuse of program since that time. endangered historic buildings downtown. In addition to establishing the Historic These projects did much to publicize the Preservation Commission, the city has commercial reuse potential of older continued to undertake projects to identify buildings as an alternative to new and plan for the construction as well protection of its as to enhance the historic resources. In Old World image of 1984 the city, with parts of downtown. the assistance of a p-- T he private sector, surveying and k~ on its own, enthu planning grant from siastically undertook the National Park the rehabilitation of Service, undertook a historic buildings project to intensively throughout the research historic downtown, many buildings downtown utilizing federal and to nominate a investment tax number of historic districts for listing in credits, until a change in the tax laws in the National Register of Historic Places. the late 1980s discouraged such activity. This effort led to the creation of seven The rehabilitation of the German-English historic districts downtown. Increasingly Academy, the McGeoch Building, the throughout the 1980s, especially in its Germania Building, and the Broadway commercial revitalization activities, the city Apartments in the Historic Third Ward encouraged the retention of are only a few of the many private projects preservation-worthy older buildings and that resulted in the refurbishing of promoted the restoration of buildings historic buildings. along historic lines when appropriate. In recent years, as the traditional federal While the city was developing programs financial incentives and subsidies have to identify and protect historic buildings disappeared, the city has sought new ways downtown, a number of private initiatives to encourage reinvestment in and the were undertaken that resulted in the preservation of historic buildings in restoration of important downtown recognition of the contribution that buildings. Many of these projects were the historic preservation has made to the city’s result of a renewed investment interest in economy. The current emphasis is on a downtown buildings. Some were assisted blend of incentives and regulatory by the generous federal investment tax measures more closely tied to the city's credit provisions for the rehabilitation of overall land use planning goals for historic buildings that were incorporated downtown. The recommendations in this into the federal tax code in the late 1970s. study are intended to help achieve A number of public-private partnership that objective. projects, ranging in size from the huge Grand Avenue Mall to such individual buildings as the Iron Block, resulted in the PAGE 5 A PLAN FOR. PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER. OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLANNING RECOMMENDATIONS The following recommendations for protect the historic character of revitalizing and protecting historic Milwaukee's Central Business District while properties in the Central Business District accommodating growth and change. The were developed in conjunction with the task force determined that the best way to Downtown Planning Task Force convened preserve historic buildings is to ensure their by the Department of City Development in economic viability and that their the summer of 1990 and chaired by preservation is important to the future of Aiderman Paul Henningsen. They seek to Milwaukee for the following reasons: i) The preservation of historic buildings helps distinguish Milwaukee from other major American cities. 2) The preservation of historic buildings gives Milwaukee architectural interest and character not found in the newer suburban areas which surround the city. 3) T he preservation of historic buildings is important to maintain a variety of different types of commercial space and increase the range of development opportunities available. 4) The preservation of historic buildings is important to maintain the density and continuity of the building stock downtown. 5) The preservation of historic buildings maintains the variety of scale downtown and helps mitigate the negative environmental side effects of large structures, such as the creation of wind tunnels and shadowing. 6) The preservation of historic buildings enhances the image of downtown as a special character area for the purpose of promoting commercial activity. 7) The preservation of historic buildings is important to promoting tourism downtown. 8) The preservation of historic buildings is important to maintain a record of the historic development of the city and to increase public pride in the notable accomplishments of the past. 9) The preservation of historic buildings maintains structures possessing significance as irreplaceable works of architecture. PAGE 6 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & & RECOMMENDATIONS To achieve this goal, recommendations Preservation priorities should be in four areas have been made: integrated into policy planning downtown improvements to the city's existing historic with the desired result that essential preservation program; revisions to zoning historic cultural resources are protected classifications downtown; changes to the and preserved and the downtown building code; and the creation of maintains its special character as it economic incentives to encourage historic continues to grow and change. preservation activity. I. Historic Designation A Amend the historic preservation ordinance, Section 308-81, to make it more effective by: 1) Making it possible to designate specific regularly publicly accessible interior spaces that are government owned. 2) Specifying the procedure by which the Common Council can change the boundaries of a recommended historic district and rescind the designation of a previously designated structure. Such a procedure would specify that a majority vote of the Common Council would be required to modify or rescind a historic designation. 3) Specifying that D.RW. (the Department of Public Works) may erect at city expense special street signs within historic districts that identify the name of the historic district 4) Revising the definition of historic to ensure that only buildings 50 years of age or older are considered for designation. B. List all of the previously identified individual properties and historic districts in the downtown area that are potentially eligible for designation under the city's historic preservation ordinance. Section 308-81. II. Zoning A Examine zoning classifications that overlay historic districts and consider changes which would be consistent with the goal of preserving historic buildings. Rezone historic districts at the request of 75% of the affected property owners to ensure the zoning standards are consistent with the existing scale of the buildings. B. Prohibit new surface parking lots in the heart of downtown, the area bounded by N. 6th, Kilboum Ave., N. Prospect Ave., and Clyboum St, and study ways to phase out existing surface lots in that area. PAGE 7 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & HI. Building Code Enforcement A Modify demolition provisions to discourage demolition until reuse of the property is known by requiring that demolition sites be landscaped and maintained to specified standards. B. Strengthen the maintenance provisions of the building code to prevent demolition by neglect of older buildings. C. Implement repair provisions in the building code that would enable the city in extreme cases to make code required repairs to historic properties and charge the cost against the taxes for the property if the following conditions apply: 1) Fhe building is deteriorated to the point that it is an eyesore and a blighting influence on its neighbors; and 2) T he deterioration threatens the structural stability of the structure and creates conditions that are a safety hazard to the public; and 3) I’he owner has not responded to previous B.I. repair orders so that the only other normal alternative for B.I. would be to issue raze orders for the structure: and 4) Before the City would step in, the Common Council would hear all sides of the issue and specifically authorize City intervention. IV Incentives to Encourage Historic Preservation A Work with the Office of the Assessment Commissioner to ensure that assessment rates in designated historic districts reflect the fair market value of the property based upon the current use and the actual development potential of the land permitted by the zoning and historic designation regulations. B. Offer bonus zoning incentives if a historic building (or specified portion of it) is preserved in a new development Incentives might be usable on site or as a transfer of development rights. C. Create a special capital improvements fund for streetscaping or other public works in historic districts. D. Implement a revolving loan fund that would make loans to leverage rehabilitation financing for smaller commercial buildings containing no more than 20,000 sq. ft. of first floor area which are also eligible for listing as local historic structures. The fund should be administered by a not-for-profit organization and initially be capitalized with private and public contributions. The City of Milwaukee would commit funds to this program for a specified period of years on a matching basis with funds PAGE 8 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & from non-City sources. The fund would be flexible in tailoring its loan terms to meet the unique gap financing needs of each project. The intent is not to make loans to finance an entire rehab, but rather to provide the extra funds necessary to leverage the private dollars needed to make the project feasible. The fund would not make grants; all disbursed funds would have to be repaid. E. Implement a City coordinated effort to market historic districts as special character areas to promote retail activity and highlight develop ment opportunities. F. Give preferential consideration for use of the City's Economic Opportunity Development Fund where public/private development projects will include the preservation and/or restoration of historic buildings. 8 r s s 8 r PAGE 9 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & APPENDIX A & National Register (NR) structures and districts in Downtown Milwaukee. I. National Register Structures Historic Name Address When Built N. Astor Street © Immanuel Presbyterian Church 1100 N. Astor St (1873-1875) @ Knapp Astor House 1301 N. Astor St and (1891) 930 E. Knapp St N. Broadway @ Blatz Brewery Complex 1101-47 N. Broadway (1891-1906) 4 i Blatz. Valentin, Brew-ing 1120 N. Broadway (1890. 1945) Company Office Building 5 GermanEnglish Academy 1020 N. Broadway (1890-1891) C6) Home Office, Northwestern 605-623 N. Broadway (1885) Mutual Life Insurance Company © Old St Mary's Church 844 N. Broadway (1846-1847) (s) Wisconsin Telephone Co. 722 N. Broadway (1916, 1923) Building E. Buffalo Street (£) Baumbach Building 312 E Buffalo St (1899-19(X)) N. Jackson Street ® St John the Evangelist 812 N. Jackson St (1847-1853) Cathedral N. Jefferson Street (n) Milwaukee Club 706 N. Jefferson St (1883) Juneau Avenue @ All Saints Episcopal 804-828 E. Juneau Ave. (1868-1869) Cathedral Complex © Astor on the Lake 924 E. Juneau Ave. (1918-1920) ® Knickerbocker Hotel 1028 E. Juneau Ave. (1929-1930) Kilboum Avenue ® Woman's Club of Wisconsin 813 E. Kilboum Ave. (1887-1888) PAGE 10 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & & Knapp Street @ St Paul's Episcopal Church 914 E. Knapp St (1882-1890) Mason Street ® Milwaukee News Building 222 E. Mason St (1879: 1884) and Milwaukee Abstract Assn. Building E. Michigan Street '8 Mackie Building 225 E. Michigan St (1879-1880) ® Mitchell Building 207 E. Michigan St (1876-1878) ® The State Bank of Wisconsin/ 210 E. Michigan St (1856-1857; Bank of Milwaukee Block 1857-1858) E. Ogden Avenue i'2i) Abbot Row 1019-1043 E. Ogden Ave. (1889) (§) First Unitarian Church 1(X)9 E. Ogden Ave. (1891-1892) N. Old World Third Street 23) Milwaukee County 910 N. Old World Third (1911-1915) Historical Center Street (former Second Ward Savings Bank) N. Van Buren Street @ Sixth Church of Christ 1036 N. Van Buren St. (1902) Scientist @> WI Consistory/Scottish 790 N. Van Buren St (1889; 1936) Rite Cathedral Wells St. @ Germania Building 135 W Wells St (1896) @ Milwaukee City Hall 2(X) E. Wells St (1893-1895) 28 Oneida Street Station 108 E. Wells SL and (1890. 1900) 816 N. Edison St 29 Pabst Theater 144 E. Wells St (1895) Wisconsin Avenue 30 Calvary Presbyterian Church 935 W Wisconsin Ave. (1870-1872) ® Federal Building 515-519 E. Wisconsin Ave (1892-1899) @ Iron Block 205 E. Wisconsin Ave. (1860-1861) PAGE 11 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & & @ Pfister Hotel 424 E. Wisconsin Ave. (1895) 34 St James Episcopal Church 833 W Wisconsin Ave. (1867-1868) Numbered Streets N. Fourth Street @ Turner Hall 1034 N. Fourth St (1882-1883) N. Ninth Street 36 Milwaukee County 901 N. Ninth St (1929-1931) Courthouse □7) Trinity Evangelical Lutheran 1046 N. Ninth Sl (1878-1880) Church II. National Register Districts s Cass/Juneau Avenue Historic District B Cass/Wells Street Historic District c: East Side Commercial Historic District □ First Ward Triangle Historic District B Historic Third Ward Historic District Old World Third Street Historic District E Pabst Brewing Company Historic District E Plankinton Avenue/Wells/Water Street Historic District PAGE 12 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT djb & <75 oooo S7 nuns 8 Jovr OT3 ru>l n WCCDDEM o’- - □ ®QD Q 111 □□□□I IDEE^C □□□□I □ I_ eeICE t?5 MB. 1 IFjlLl . Milwaukee’s Central Business District w National Register Structures and Districts J Properties listed in the National Register as of 5/1/95 PAGE 13 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT APPENDIX B djb Currently listed as City designated downtown structures and districts under Section 308-81, the local historic preservation ordinance. I. City Designated Structures Date Designated Historic Name & & Council When Built .Address Resolution No. N. Astor Street © First Unitarian Church 1342 N. Astor St 2/12/92 (1891-1892) 90-1525 N. Broadway @ St Mary 's Roman Catholic 836-44 N. Broadway 4/9/90 Church and Rectory 89-2163 (1846; 1922) N. Jackson Street @ Sl John the Evangelist Cathedral 812 N. Jackson St. 4/15/92 (1847) 91-1840 W. Juneau Avenue C4) Gipfel Union Brewery 423-27 W Juneau Ave. 7/16/85 (1853) 85-585 N. Marshall St ® Robert Patrick Fitzgerald House 1119 N. Marehall St 7/10/90 (1874) 90-0213 © Milo R Jewett House 8(X) N. Marehall St 7/27/84 (1872) 84-72 ® Charles Koeffler House 817-19 N. Marshall St 4/15/86 (1898) 85-1754-a E. Ogden Avenue ® Abbot Row 1019-1043 E. Ogden Ave. 2/15/83 (1889) 82-1821 N. Old World Third Street ® Milwaukee County Historical Center 910 N. Old World Third St 2/15/83 (former Second Ward Savings Bank) 82-1825 (1913) PAGE 14 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & & W. State Street ® Anton Kuolt Saloon 322 W. State St 4/15/86 (1889) 85-2034 N. Van Buren Street (n) Sixth Church of Christ Science 1036 N. Van Buren St. 5/17/83 (1902) 83-78 N. Waverly Place @ James S. Peck House 1105 N. Waverly PI. 7/26/88 (1870-1871) 88-0635 E. Wells Sl @ City Hall 2(X) E. Wells St 11/9/82 (1893-1895) 82-1243 (m) Pabst Theater 144 E. Wells St 12/7/82 (1895) 82-1345 Wisconsin Avenue ® Central Milwaukee Library 814 W Wisconsin Ave. 11/9/82 (1895-1899) 82-1243 (j6) Federal Building 515 E. Wisconsin Ave. 11/9/82 (1892-1899) 82-1243 @ Northwestern National 526 E. Wisconsin Ave. 6/16/87 Insurance Co. (1906) 87-(X)86 @ St. James Episcopal Church 833 W Wisconsin Ave. 2/12/91 (1867-1868. Church; 90-1528 1899, parish house) Numbered Streets N. Fourth Street ® Turner Hall 1034 N. Fourth St 4/15/86 (1882) 85-2035 PAGE 15 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT II. City Designated Districts A All Saints Cathedral 1 listoric District 804-28 E. Juneau Ave. 1/4/84 (1868-1903) 83-1633 B Cass and Wells Streets Historic District See map 1/1/92 (1874-1922) 90-1170 & 90-1703 C, East Side Commercial Historic District Sec map 11/17/87 (1850-1900) 87-0085 D First Ward Triangle Historic District See map 7/12/83 (1855-1900) 83-229 E Old World Third Street Historic District See map 8/2/91 (1855-1910) 90-1527 [ F] Pabst Brewery Historic District See map 7/30/85 (1877-1930)' 85-586 SBLIUUUU s □□mm 0® F <]□□□□ Loh D 111 I' __II__ I1 IDDPfT rw E * ]!□□□□□□ □C^QQasa ■3mm ][ □h' —n—rr~^ mi ■ i Milwaukee’s Central Business District •l HPC Designated Properties as of 5/1/95 PAGE 16 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT £ APPENDIX C & Eligible individual downtown structures and districts. These may be eligible for historic designation under Section 308-81 but are not currently locally designated. NR indicates that the building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. NR-eligible means that it has been formally determined eligible for listing by the Federal government I. Potential Historical Structures Historic Name Address When Built N. Astor Street ') Barth, John, House 1331 N. Astor Sl (1895) (2) Brown. Janies S.. House 1122 N. Astor St (c 1850) CD Ilsley, James K, House 1037 N. Astor St (1897) 4 ) Immanuel Presbyterian Church (NR) 11(X) N. Astor SL (1873-75) 5 ) Knapp-Astor House (NR) 1301 N. Astor St (1891) CD Studio Apartments 1111 N. Astor St (1925) N. Broadway @ Wisconsin Telephone Co. 722 N. Broadway (1916, 1923) Building (NR) (D The Blatz Apartments (NR) 1106 N. Broadway (1890s) @ Blatz, Vai, Brewing Co. Office 1120 N. Broadway (1890) Building (NR) ® German-English Academy (NR) 1020 N. Broadway (1890-91) C'j) Grace Lutheran Church 1209 N. Broadway (19(X)) N. Cass Street ® Roberts, John, House 1309 N. Cass St. (1873-74) W. Jefferson Street © Elsa's on the Park 833 N. Jefferson St (c. 1887) @ Milwaukee Club (NR) 706 N. Jefferson St. (1883) E. Juneau Avenue ® Astor Hotel (NR) 924 E. Juneau Ave. (1920 1925) @ Knickerbocker Hotel (NR) 1028 E. Juneau Ave. (1929-30) E. Kilboum Avenue 17 Women's Club of Wisconsin (NR) 813 E. Kilboum Ave. (1887-88) E. Knapp Street (is, Judge James G. Jenkins House 1018 E. Knapp St (1885) 19, E. C. Wall Rowhouses 918-24 E. Knapp St (1897) (20) St. Paul's Episcopal Church (NR) 914 E. Knapp St (1882-1890) PAGE 17 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & N. Marshall Street @ George Peckham House 1029 N. Marehall Sl (1855) E. Mason Street (2) Milwaukee News Building and 222 E. Mason Sl (1879:1884) Milwaukee Abstract Assoc. Building (NR) @ Milwaukee Sentinel Building 225 E. Mason St (1892) @ Cudahy Condominium 920 E. Mason St (1908-09) W. Michigan St. @ Public Service Building 231 W Michigan St (1903-05) N. Milwaukee St. 26' Comstock Apartments 828 N. Milwaukee St (1898) @ Beaumont Apartments 1227 N. Milwaukee St (1903) 28 Trenkamp Flats 1303-07 N. Milwaukee St (1894) N. Old World Third Street 29 Century Building 808 N. Old WorldThird St (1910) ® Hochmuth, E H., Building 1137 N. Old World Third St (1892) ® Wisconsin Hotel (NR-eligiblc) 720 N. Old World Thiid St (1913) N. Plankinton Avenue @ Empire Building 710 N. Plankinton Ave. (1927) 33 Pritzlaff Hardware Company 305 N. Plankinton Ave. (1875) N. Prospect Avenue ® 1260 N. Prospect Ave. Apartments 1260 N. Prospect Ave. (1938) State Street ® Button, Henry H., House 1024 E. State Sl (1875) /® Milwaukee Journal 333 W State St. (1924) ® Pasadena Apartments 803-811 E. State St (1903) ® St. Benedict the Moor Church 924 W State St (1923) N. Van Buren Street ® Wisconsin Scottish Rite Cathedral 790 N. Van Buren St (1889; 1936-37) N. Water Street @ First Wisconsin National Bank 735 N. Water St (1912-14) @ First Wisconsin Parking Garage 746 N. Water St (1928-29) PAGE 18 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT $ E. Wells St. @ Cudahy Towers Apartments 925 E. Wells St (1928-29) @ University Club 924 E. Wells St (1926) Wisconsin Avenue 441 Boston Store (NR-eligiblc) 331 W Wisconsin Ave. (1895 et seq.) @ Caswell Building (NR-eligible) 152 W Wisconsin Ave. (1907) @ Calvary Presbyterian Church (NR) 935 W Wisconsin Ave. (1870) 471 Warner 'Theater Building (NR-eligible) 212 W Wisconsin Ave. (1930) @ Majestic Building (NR-eligible) 231 W Wisconsin Ave. (1907) @ Marshall Field s (NR-eligible) 101 W Wisconsin Ave. (1901) ® Hilton Hotel 509 W Wisconsin Ave. (1927) (51) Mariner Tower 606 W Wisconsin Ave. (1929-30) (52) Mathews Brothers’ Building 301 W Wisconsin Ave. (1891) (NR-eligible) (53) Milwaukee Gas Company 626 E. Wisconsin Ave. (1929-30) @ Northwestern Mutual Life Building 720 E. Wisconsin Ave. (1912) (S) Pfister Hotel (NR) 424 E. Wisconsin Ave. (1893) 56 Plankinton Arcade (NR-eligible) 161 W Wisconsin Ave. (1916. 1925) @ Wisconsin Club (NR-eligiblc) 900 W Wisconsin Ave. (1876) (Alexander Mitchell House) N. Fifth Street 58) Old Wisconsin Telephone Company 735 N. Fifth St (1905) N. Ninth Street 59; Milwaukee County Courthouse (NR) 901 N. Ninth St (1929-31) ;60) Trinity Lutheran Church (NR) 1046 N. Ninth St. (1878) II. Potential Historic Districts These may be eligible for historic designation under Section 308-81 but are not currently locally designated. ® Cass/Juneau Historic District (NR) (see map next page) [b] Plankinton-Wells-Water Street Historic District (NR) (see map next page) PAGE 19 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & & Cass/Juneau Avenue Pl Milwaukee’s Central Business District ' L- 'c^^51 Potential Historic Properties Not yet designated but eligible for local (HPC) designation 'imUsK PAGE 20 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT APPENDIX D djb i. Downtown Historic Districts recommended for special zoning classification to ensure consistency with preservation and revitalization odjectives. A Plankinton-Wells-Water Street Historic District1 B. East Side Commercial Historic District C. Old World Third Street Historic District D. Cass and Wells Streets Historic District E. Cass/Juneau Historic District1 E First Ward Triangle Historic District 1 These areas should only be considered for rezoning to protect their historic character if they are formally designated as historic districts by' the Common Council. Pfan Se5j_IUUUU□□□□I , □□□□ E f4z HW JW jctwasQQr 13 WODfflC fommi ]□ I b ]1 t Km T Milwaukee’s Central Business District bW Areas Recommended for Special Zoning Classification to Protect t—i ill Historic Character L J PAGE 21 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & & II. Downtown areas recommended for site plan overlay zoning to preserve neighborhood scale, density and character. A Yankee Hill Residential Area. B. North Water Street entertainment strip (west side of N. Water St between Highland Ave. and Knapp St) muuuuun : ’5 U A raniOH mu ... I o ®HnDDoanuaaor ^aonnnFAnrBDqg! I Milwaukee’s Central Business District 1 Recommended Site Plan Overlay Zoning Areas pB PAGE 22 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & djb APPENDIX E eV HISTORIC RESOURCES IN present day Mitchell Park. Vieau divided his time between his two posts and was DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE not a permanent resident of the The Milwaukee central business district Milwaukee area. In 1818 a young French includes the richest and most diverse Canadian, Solomon Juneau, came to inventory of historic buildings in the city. Milwaukee to work as a clerk for Vieau. The resources found there document the Juneau married Vieau's daughter. Josette, commercial, industrial and residential in 1820 and assumed control of the growth of the city from the 1850s to the business within a couple of years. Juneau present. In addition to numerous isolated is considered by most accounts to have individual historic structures, concentrations of historic buildings exist at key loca tions in the downtown constituting areas of distinct historic character. These areas each illuminate a different aspect of the city's history and have previously been identi fied as worthy of preservation. The following brief histo ry of Milwaukee's downtown IMiltuaukee focuses on these areas of IN 1836. I Drawn acconllnx lo Rccollcclluu. special historic character. or Dr. K. Cli.w, tl. n. Rmltli and other early Rocilcn. THE ORIGINS OF DOWNTOWN JfUUlM I The history o f StcXX______Milwaukee's central business district began with the first town settlement in 1835. Prior to this, extensive commercial 1 * trade had been carried on between French Canadian traders and the Indians at this location, but little permanent construction had resulted. Jacques Vieau, one of an early group of fur traders who had established a major trading center at Green Bay, came to Milwaukee in 1795 and established a seasonal post on a knoll overlooking the Menomonee River in PAGE 23 A PLAN FOR. PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & been the first permanent white settler of deviation in Milwaukee's checkerboard Milwaukee. He built his cabin and trading street pattern was North Water Street and post in 1822 at what is now the northwest North Plankinton Avenue, which corner of North Water Street and East paralleled the crooked course of the Wisconsin Avenue thereby inadvertently Milwaukee River. Because of competition establishing this intersection as the between Juneau and Kilbourn, however, commercial heart of the city forever after. the east-west streets of the two plats did Permanent settlement of any kind in the not align and were given different names. region was inhibited, however, by Indian Despite its formal gridiron plan, control of southeastern Wisconsin. Milwaukee at this time was a small frontier Treaties with the Indians in 1831 and village of scattered buildings. 1833 ceded this part of the state to the federal government. Almost immediately Throughout the small riverfront after the land was surveyed and put up lor community, radical alterations of the terrain sale, European and Yankee settlement had begun by the 1840s. Hills and bluffs began in earnest were removed or graded, and the remaining Milwaukee's topography influenced the soil was used to fill in the extensive physical and political character of the early marshes and lowlands along the river settlement. The Milwaukee and banks. These and other costly Menomonee Rivers divided the area into improvements were financed by the local three sections: east, west, and south. By promoters (chiefly Byron Kilbourn and 1835, when the Indian lands had been Solomon Juneau) to entice settlers to their surveyed and were ready for public sale, a respective townsites. Today the topography handful of promoters had already claimed is so altered from its original state that it is the lands which comprised the original difficult to conceive of the original irregular nucleus of Milwaukee. Morgan L. Martin, terrain with its bluffs, ravines and swamps. in partnership with Solomon Juneau, In Juneautown, on the east side of the staked out the eastern wedge between the river, most of the buildings clustered along lake and the Milwaukee River as a Water Street near the intersection of townsite. Byron Kilbourn, an Ohio Wisconsin Avenue. Kilbourntown, on the engineer and surveyor, chose land on the west side, was centered on the high ground west side of the Milwaukee River. The at the corner of Third Street and Juneau third developer, George H. Walker, Avenue. Among the earliest structures built established his claim south of the were log cabins and "claim shanties," built Milwaukee River on a peninsula which by driving stakes into the ground and became known as Walker's Point. surrounding them with basswood lumber. Thus, Milwaukee's development began Most permanent buildings, however, were as three separate, rural, speculative real frame with clapboard exteriors. These were estate ventures. modest structures, one to three stories high, In 1835 Kilbourn and Juneau filed their none of which survive today. The early respective plats for the west and east sides. town consisted of a random jumble of Both plats followed the gridiron plan of dwellings, stores, taverns, sawmills, and repetitive rectangular blocks, which was shops belonging to blacksmiths, coopers, the most common layout of western towns and other tradesmen. during the nineteenth century. The only PAGE 24 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & & EAST SIDE COMMERCIAL business thoroughfare on the east side and HISTORIC AREA the principal commercial center of the As the pioneer trading post gave way to three villages for many years. The original a permanent settlement with improved pioneer structures on Water Street and the streets and waterways, the growing adjacent streets to the east were population demanded businesses that subsequently replaced with larger and could provide goods and services. On more costly structures throughout the both sides of the river, offices and shops nineteenth century as this area maintained were built that included land offices, its commercial preeminence over other lawyers' offices, liveries and blacksmiths, areas on the city. The visible result is that hotels and taverns, and stores which sold this area still contains some of the finest everything from salt to books. and most opulent nineteenth century commercial architecture extant in Commercial activity on the east side Milwaukee. originally focussed on Water Street. Water Street is the oldest street in the city, and Gradually the area became more the two blocks of it between Wisconsin specialized with Water Street south of Avenue and East Clybourn Street were the Wisconsin Avenue emerging as the first to be graded by Solomon Juneau in wholesaling center of the city with three 1834. Wisconsin Avenue was also graded and four story, masonry loft buildings the same year for five blocks east from the lining both sides of the street from the river to present day North Jackson Street. bend in the Milwaukee River north to Water Street, and to a lesser extent Wisconsin Avenue. Offices and sales Broadway, Michigan Street, Clybourn departments were located on the ground Avenue, and Wisconsin Avenue, became floors of these buildings with some the hub of commercial activity on the east manufacturing and storage on the upper side. Water Street's ready access to the floors. A number of hotels and some retail Milwaukee River made it the primary shops, mostly holdovers from the previous i ! U .TAILORS . _ Z Southwest comer of Wisconsin Avenue and Broadway about 1895. Photo: \lilHiitikff County Historical Society PAGE 25 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & & decades, were also located along the street was built in 1856-57 and the State Bank During this period, Michigan Street of Wisconsin was built in 1857-58. The between the Milwaukee River and erection of the Chamber of Commerce Broadway emerged as the city's financial Building (Mackie Building) in 1879 and district. Alexander Mitchell erected his the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Marine Bank building in 1846 on the Company corporate headquarters (611 N. southeast corner of North Water and East Broadway Building) in 1886 solidified Michigan Streets. This was later the site of Michigan Street as the city's Victorian era the Mitchell Building erected in 1877. center of finance and commerce. Across the street, the Bank of Milwaukee Wisconsin Avenue did not emerge as a WELLS ST. East Side Commercial \ Historic Area MASON ST. WISCONSIN AVE. IZ1 LXJ on LXJ un z £ cc o z LU oc I on PB ono > o g ^B CC ca LXJ MICHIGAN ST. LU LU Z) I PAGE 26 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT djbco commercial street of importance to rival east side business district experienced Water and Michigan Streets until the relatively little change. The old Victorian 1860s when new construction commercial structures remained in use for transformed Wisconsin Avenue into a the most part A few large office buildings major commercial artery. Substantia] were constructed including the Wisconsin business blocks for retail shops and Telephone Building, 722 N. Broadway, and professional offices erected in the 1860s the Grain Exchange Building. 741 N. included the Iron Block (1860) at 205 Milwaukee Street as well as some smaller East Wisconsin Avenue, the Noonan commercial structures such as the George Block (1867) at 307 East Wisconsin Watts store, 759 N. Jefferson Street, but Avenue, and Birchard's and Follansbee's generally the district retained its low rise. Block (1867) at 323-331 East Wisconsin Victorian character. Most construction Avenue. New commercial development activity focussed on storefront also occurred on the cross streets remodelings. The onset of the Great expanding and further solidifying the east Depression curtailed new development in side business district North of Wisconsin the district putting a temporary halt to the Avenue specialized retailing located along 1920s trend to replace the old Victorian Broadway and Milwaukee Street. A buildings with new office buildings. Two significant number of retail structures built exceptions are the Moderne Style John in the 1860s still remain in the 700 block Mariner Building at 732-48 N. Milwaukee of Milwaukee Street. South of Wisconsin Street built in 1937 and the richly elegant Avenue on Milwaukee Street the new storefront for the Lou Fritzel store at Academy of Music (1864-65) (now the 733 N. Milwaukee Street constructed in Pioneer Building, remodeled to its present 1939. appearance in 1925) at 625 N. I’he East Side Commercial Historic Milwaukee Street was built, while on District is recognized today as an Broadway the half block long Lawrence architecturally and historically significant Building (1868) at 602-628 N. Broadway collection of commercial buildings provided professional offices, mostly constructed between 1856 and 1939. The occupied by commission merchants, and district illustrates Milwaukee's commercial manufacturing space for numerous development from the mid-nineteenth milliners. It is the construction of the century to World War II. Within the 1860s and 1870s that gives this area, now district are outstanding examples of known as East Town, its distinctly historic Italianate, Italian Renaissance Revival, ambiance. Second Empire, Queen Anne, By the turn of the century, new Romanesque. Commercial Style, Period buildings to house corporate headquarters Revival, and Art Moderne commercial and professional offices were needed. architecture. I’he works of both locally and Important office buildings constructed at nationally important architects are this time were the Railway Exchange represented including Milwaukeeans Building (1899-1900) at 233 East Albert C. Nash. Edward Townsend Mix, Wisconsin Avenue and the Wells Building Henry C. Koch, Alexander C. Eschweiler, (1901) at 324 East Wisconsin Avenue. Martin Tullgren, the firms of George W After that, between 1900 and 1945, the Mygatt and Leonard A. Schmidtner, PAGE 27 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT * & H. Paul Schnetzky and Eugene R. Liebert, popular eateries is unique in downtown Charles D. Crane and Carl C. Barkhausen, Milwaukee and has resulted in the as well as New York City architect George rehabilitation of the numerous small, H. Johnson and Chicago's Solon Spencer previously neglected, Victorian Beman, William LeBaron Jenny, and the commercial buildings whose existence firm of Burnham and Root. Historically, fostered the creation of this now vital the district represents significant entertainment district Although probably contributions to the development of not intact enough to be considered for Milwaukee in the areas of commerce local historic designation, this two block (most notably banking, commission strip does constitute one of downtown trading, insurance and wholesaling), music Milwaukee's most identifiable special and social/humanitarian endeavors. Its character areas. Its small scale buildings significance was acknowledged when and single lot development pattern is much of the area was listed in the National worthy of protection in an area Register of Historic Places in 1986. increasingly being developed with massive structures that cover an entire city block THE NORTH WATER STREET ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT Farther north along Water Street, the blocks above Kilbourn Avenue between Broadway and the Milwaukee River developed after the Civil War as a mixed KNAPP ST. commercial and industrial area. Brewery buildings and loft manufacturing structures mixed with small stores, rundown houses, and taverns to form a diverse neighborhood with a decidedly rough and on OC tumble character. The area housed a large cc LXJ farmers market, a portion of the city's red LU light district, workingmen's saloons, and CC numerous sweatshops and warehouses. JUNEAU AVE. Because of its somewhat seedy character and mildly unsavory reputation, this area Y I LU has been particularly subject to decay and UJ demolition over the years, with the result * Z> ©I that today little of it remains intact except v> for the blocks between E. Highland C3 I l_i_l Avenue and E. Knapp Street on the west 2 side of North Water Street The surviving buildings, ranging in age from 1870 to 1920, have become the focus in recent years of an emerging North Water Street entertainment district of chic restaurants Entertainment District and nightspots. This concentration of PAGE 28 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT cjb & C3 THE THIRD WARD extensions in the 1870s and 1880s increased wholesale trade even more, HISTORIC AREA making it one of Milwaukee's major From the city's earliest days. Water business activities. As wholesale trade Street, along the east hank of the increased, more and more wholesale Milwaukee River, was the major retail and houses located in the combined wholesale thoroughfare in the city. warehouse-manufacturing district on Water Wholesale traders began their operations Street. Broadway, and Milwaukee Street here by shipping raw products eastward, south of Michigan Street, which became including fish, lumber, hides, wool and known as the Third Ward. Because of its grain. After the first railroad from hub-like location near the harbor, the river, Milwaukee reached the Mississippi River railroads and the downtown, the area soon in 1856. wholesalers of groceries, dry became too valuable for the sprawling, goods, hardware, drugs, clothing, and low-rise factories originally built there, and boots and shoes began to ship many of them were replaced by multi-story manufactured products to the new inland warehouses that also housed assembly and communities to the west. Railroad processing plants. >!* 4pr m’ mi i>dri ii.i,ii uni ir”»i stiff11 •4 Commission Row. looking south on Broadway from East St. Pau! Avenue about 1895 Photo- Milwaukee County Historxul Society PAGE 29 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & & By the late nineteenth century the Irish community of railroad workers and highest concentration of wholesalers in the factory laborers. city was located in the Third Ward. The T hen on a gusty October evening in tall, cream brick warehouses in the old 1892, a small fire started in the Union Oil T hird Ward were built wall-to-wall and Co. warehouse on Water Street, north of were predominantly Italianate in design Buffalo Street Although it was thought to with arched windows and fancy cornices. have been quickly brought under control, To the east, near the marshy lakeshore, a fire broke out in a neighboring factory’ hundreds of tiny frame cottages housed an (where Commission Row now stands) an ST. PAUL AVE. ac£ co BUFFALO SI z s ZD CD g O£ CO 3 HICA OST. 0 MENOMONEE ST. CORCORAN AVE. PITTSBURGH AVE. Third Ward Historic Area PAGE 30 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & * hour later. Before morning, three fire significance because it contains fighters were dead, two women had died of Milwaukee's finest concentration of apparent shock. 215 railroad cars were nineteenth and early-twentieth century consumed, and 81 large brick buildings industrial buildings. It is historically and 359 wood frame structures had been significant for its associations with destroyed, including the local firehouse. Milwaukee's rise as a major regional Left standing were the buildings on the wholesaling and manufacturing center in west upwind side of Water Street a couple the nineteenth century. T he historic and of saloons, and a new warehouse on Erie architectural significance of the area was Street (214-228 E. Erie and 266 E. Erie recognized by its listing in the National Street still remain). Register of Historic Places at the request As soon as the smoke cleared, of the Third Ward Association in 1984. reconstruction began. Within a couple of years, many fine brick warehouses had PLANKINTON-WELLS-WATER been constructed. Today, 30 percent of STREET HISTORIC AREA the buildings remaining in the area date from this 1890's building campaign. While the T hird Ward and the Water- Michigan-Wisconsin area were developing T he first three decades of the twentieth as major centers of wholesaling and century were the heyday for Third Ward finance, farther north on Water Street a business activity. For the year 1919, for retailing center known as Market Square instance, wholesale trade ranked as the largest business activity in Milwaukee with developed between Mason and Wells Streets. Unlike the planned squares and products valued at $244,000,000. The parks of the original town plats, which were visual character of the district today is set aside specifically for the erection of essentially the same as it was in the late public buildings and for use as open space 1920s. Ninety-eight percent of all the for public assembly. Market Square evoked buildings remaining in the district were accidently out of an irregularity in the built before 1929. city's grid plan and the fortuitous location After World War II the gradual of the city's first market house there. It was ascendancy of truck transportation caused never a "square" in the sense of being a an exodus of wholesale businesses to the planned urban space. It was located in the suburbs. The old Third Ward remained Juneautown plat where Water Street met home to many grocery commission Market Street between Wells Street and houses, clothing firms, and miscellaneous Mason Street. This juncture formed assembly and distribution businesses. Milwaukee's unofficial town center for Gradually, many upper stories became almost a century. Market Square differed vacant. Recently a growing interest in the from the business district south of preservation and renovation of the area Wisconsin Avenue in function, purpose has breathed new life into the Third Ward and association in that it was a bustling as the old buildings arc being renovated retail trade center rather than a whole for residential, retail, commercial and office saling or financial district. Goods and uses. products were hauled in daily for sale The Third Ward Historic area is either in the Market Hall or from recognized today as being of architectural impromptu stands set up in the street The PAGE 31 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT djb & - Looking north on Water Street front Wisconsin Avenue into Market Square about 1875. Photo: State / latorical Satiety of Wimmin area had a very mixed use character with did not cater to regional or national hotels, restaurants, saloons, theaters, public markets, as did the Michigan-Water halls, retail shops, sen ice businesses, and Street area. light manufacturing all jumbled together. Market Square developed as it did Market Square essentially served the day- probably as a direct result of the erection to-day needs of the local populous and of a two-story market hall on the site of the PAGE 32 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & w present City Hall in 1851-52. The second as a business, service, entertainment and floor of the market hall was leased in government center. These monumental 1853 to Joseph Kurz, producer of structures transformed Wells Street into an Milwaukee's German language theater important thoroughfare linking Market company. Kurz produced and staged his Square with the triangular open space in plays in this building until 1860 when the front of the Germania Building on the building was converted to use as west side of the river, which became an Milwaukee's first city hall. The German important node in the link between the language theater moved eventually to a old Third and Juneau German commer nearby opera house on the site of the cial area and the West Wisconsin Avenue present Pabst Theater, establishing the major retailing commercial strip. Like Market Square area as a pioneer Market Square on the east side, this entertainment district. The much altered triangular area developed as one of the row of buildings on the west side of Water principal urban commercial spaces on the Street between Mason and Wells Streets west side. It also was unplanned and was remain as reminders of the small stores, the accidental result of an irregularity in restaurants, saloons and hotels that the city's street plan. In spite of its visual originally lined Market Square. importance, this public space never achieved the functional significance of With the construction of the present City Hall (1893-95), the Pabst Theater Market Square as a civic center. (1895), the Oneida Street Power Station Originally, the present 'triangle' park did (1890/1900). and the Meinecke Toy not exist. It was covered with buildings. In Company Building (1891), the square and the early twentieth century, these struc the immediate vicinity attained new stature tures were razed, and the streets were Plankinton Avehue/Wells/VV^iter Street Historic Area W. KILBOURN AVE. ag »— —j ag o —J o W. WELLS ST. >T 1 11*"1 J I PAGE 33 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & widened to improve traffic circulation, significant collection of public and private resulting in the creation of the present buildings oriented to two of the city's most landscaped central space. These improve unique and historically important ments greatly enhanced the spatial downtown urban spaces and to Wells importance of this busy west side cross Street, the connecting link between the roads and increased the visual impact of Germania Triangle and Market Square. the hulking Germania Building. The Within the district arc fine examples of imposing structure finally had a setting Italianate, German Renaissance Revival, worthy of it Neo-Classical, and Commercial Style Within a few years the Victorian scale of structures built between 1865 and 1921. the triangle was altered by the construc These buildings were mostly designed by tion of the first part of the C. W. Fischer Milwaukee's leading German-American Furniture Company Building in 1908. architects of the period including: Henry This massive structure, now known as the C. Koch. Otto Strack. Carl F. Ringer, Chalet on the River, grew to rival the Herman J. Esser, and the firm of Eugene Germania Building in size and visual R. Liebert and Herman Paul Schnetzky. prominence, walling off the triangle from Historically the district has been impor the rest of the business district to the west tantly associated with the city's devel and reinforcing its importance as an urban opment in the areas of commerce, space. communications, engineering, government and theater. Functionally, the triangle was a center of printing and publishing, assorted whole OLD WORLD THIRD STREET saling. light manufacturing, and furniture HISTORIC AREA retailing. T his latter use resulted from the At the same time that Solomon extension of the city's furniture retailing Juneau's East Town was being built up district north from Plankinton Avenue into around Water Street, Wisconsin Avenue the square and resulted in the construc and Michigan Streets and Market Square tion of the large Victorian Romanesque was growing into a bustling market, civic Waldheim's Building at the southwest and entertainment district, a commercial corner of North Second Street and node developed on Byron Kilboum's plat Kilbourn Avenue (non-extant) and its on the high ground at North Third Street neighbor, the aforementioned Fischer (today's Old World Third Street) and West Building. The Germania Triangle Juneau Avenue where the first bridge remained an important downtown feature across the Milwaukee River had been built until the 1960s when its edges were in 1840. Unlike Juneautown, where most gradually eroded by spot demolition. of the settlers were Anglo-Americans, Today the Germania Triangle, Market Kilbourntown was heavily German. The Square, and the connecting portion of Germans made Third and Juneau their Wells Street constitute a distinct assem commercial center and developed a blage of historic structures known as the mixed neighborhood of houses, stores, Plankinton-Wells-Water Street Historic regional wholesale houses, manufacturing District, which was listed in the National plants, and institutional structures. The Register of Historic Places in 1986. It original small wooden buildings were contains an architecturally and historically replaced after 1860 by the substantial PAGE 34 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT rOC The Steinmeyer Building at Third and Highland about 19(X) brick structures that line Old World Third district's linkage with Third Street to the Street today. By the end of the nineteenth north. A few years later, the clearance of all century, a continuous strip of German of the buildings west of North Fourth commercial development extended along Street for surface parking, and the Third Street from West Wisconsin Avenue construction of Pere Marquette Park over to North Avenue. the former course of Plankinton Avenue Gradually, in the twentieth century, the south of State Street visually separated it district between Juneau Avenue and State from the rest of the westside downtown, Street became isolated from the surround which subsequently lost almost all of its ing commercial fabric. As the adjacent Victorian commercial buildings. areas were built up with massive, large The buildings that survived between scale office and industrial buildings, such State Street and Juneau Avenue were as the Milwaukee Journal Building, 333 recognized during the 1970s to be a West State Street (1924), the district specialty shopping district with a unique became a distinct enclave of small scale 'old world' character. The intact block Victorian architecture. This trend contin faces were refurbished, and many of the ued into the 1950s and 1960s when the facades were painted to highlight their construction of the Park East Freeway just architectural details. The 'old world' north of Juneau Avenue severed the character of the retail enterprises is PAGE 35 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & maintained by the import shops selling significant as the last remaining intact European goods, Mader's Restaurant, portion of the original German retailing nationally known for its German cuisine, district in the Kilbourntown plat section of Usinger's Famous Sausage store, and the Milwaukee. Because, since the founding of other local proprietors w’ho sell an the city in the 1830s, the district has been interesting variety of goods, services, anti one of the downtown's most important food stuffs. Even in its present form, the commercial areas and has housed the district still evokes the German character businesses of some of the city's most and curious blend of neighborhood and important German-American merchants, it city-wide retailing that has been identified was listed in the National Register of with Third Street since the time of the Historic Places in 1987 Civil War. T he Old World Third Street area today WEST WISCONSIN AVENUE is considered to be both architecturally HISTORIC AREA and historically significant. It is archi- Although it is the preeminent retail area Old World Third Street I downtown today, West Wisconsin Avenue Historic Area was actually one of the last portions of the -1 ------W. JUNEAU AVE. ’ ------downtown to develop commercially. Development was not immediately possible on West Wisconsin Avenue because the vicinity of Wisconsin anti N Plankinton Avenues was originally a wild A IE J rice and tamarack swamp covered with Ct two to six feet of water. This prompted LU pioneer-historian James Buck to comment > cr that for a long period of time, “Chestnut W. HIGHLAND AVE. LU (Juneau) and Third was the heart of the LU flourishing business section... while * ZD Spring Street (West Wisconsin Avenue) CD gg was quiescent." Beginning in 1837, the z L 1 >z— swamps were gradually drained and then CD —i QC filled with earth taken from the bluffs that I CD rose between present day North Fourth CD —J and North Fifth Streets. For years, however, CD Z West Wisconsin Avenue was only a minor J IdS roadway that was open only’ as far west as W. STATE ST. Fifth Street where a precipitous hill made —i r~ I wim westward travel impossible without an arduous detour. tecturally significant as an intact Victorian- era streetscape of exceptionally fine Several pioneer entrepreneurs Italianate, Victorian Gothic and recognized the development potential of Romanesque influenced commercial the west side and began to make buildings designed by prominent substantial physical improvements. In Milwaukee architects. It is historically 1842, James H. Rogers erected a bridge PAGE 36 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & & over the Milwaukee River to connect West of traffic to the west With the harriers to Wisconsin Avenue with East Wisconsin westward travel removed, the street Avenue on the east side. Although a widened and a direct link established with bridge had existed since 1840 at Juneau the east side, Edward D. Holton, Harvey Avenue, this was the first direct link Birchard and John Plankinton built between the west side and the town's commercial buildings on West Wisconsin primary business district on the east side Avenue between the river and North centered about North Water Street and Second Street in the 1840s, inaugurating East Wisconsin Avenue. Charles M. its emergence as a commercially Williams was instrumental in widening important extension of the city's main and grading West Wisconsin Avenue into business district across the river on North a major thoroughfare' from the Milwaukee Water Street. It was still overshadowed in River west to North Sixth Street. He was importance, however, by the commercial credited with leveling the impassable hill at node at North Third Street and North Fifth Street, permitting the free How Juneau Avenue. V’i® Lookiny east on West Wisconsin Avenue from North Fourth Street in 1854. Photo: State / fatorical Society of Wisconsin PAGE 37 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & In the decades after the Civil War began to call at Milwaukee with great (1865-1885), West Wisconsin Avenue frequency that modern, fireproof theaters emerged as a more important commercial of the type we know today began to be area than Third and Juneau and was built on a grand scale. The advent and gradually rebuilt with large commercial popularization of motion pictures after blocks, although most paled in com 1900 resulted in the establishment of parison with the grandeur of the new numerous nickelodeons, and, later, about buildings being erected on the east side. 1910, actual movie theaters. These joined Retail trade dominated the street as it the pre-existing beer halls and fashionable emerged in the 1880s as Milwaukee's restaurants to form an entertainment premier shopping district As Milwaukee's district centered around North Third economy boomed in the 1890s and more Street and West Wisconsin Avenue. Some consumer goods became available, the of the large theater buildings included Grand Avenue retail strip, as it was known hotels with restaurants, bowling alleys, and at that time, flourished. The small stores barrooms on their premises. Of the gradually grew into major mercantile numerous theaters that could once be palaces and expanded into adjacent found in the district, only two, the last ones buildings. There was a concurrent increase built in the downtown, are still extant in demand for office space. today, the Warner (1930) and the Riverside (1927). The early twentieth century witnessed the complete rebuilding of the district. After World War II, a lessening of The trend to bigness in retailing importance of the role of the Central necessitated the construction of massive Business District in the life of the city new commercial structures to house the resulted in significant changes in the west emerging department stores and the side central business district. Almost increasing space requirements of the immediately after the war, the theaters, major specialty retailers who were Hocking both cinemas and legitimate stages, either to West Wisconsin Avenue. Gone were significantly reduced the number of shows the numerous, small, proprietor-run shops or downgraded the quality of the of the Victorian era. In their place were performances in reaction to drastically major apparel stores offering full lines of reduced attendance. The main population clothing and the drug stores and dime center had begun its movement to the stores of major national chains. These suburbs, and the patrons who had businesses, with their modern mer previously attended the lavish downtown chandising techniques, required more theaters 'en masse' now went to the expansive and adaptable quarters than the movies in their suburban neighborhoods. typical fifteen- or twenty-foot-wide stores Burlesque and live variety shows had of the Victorian era. passed from fashion. By the early 1960s, all of the live stages had closed, and the In addition to major retailing, the district remaining downtown movie theaters had emerged as the city's entertainment reacted to a decline in family attendance district after 1900. Although there had by showing cheap, B-grade horror and been theaters in the area since at least the pornographic movies. Gradually, one after 1860s, it was not until the early 1900s another, the grand old theaters were razed w'hen regular circuits of live entertainment in the 1960s and 1970s. PAGE 38 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & W. WELLS ST. Q £=J DC W. WISCO SIN AVE. West Wisconsin Avenue Commercial Historic Area W. MICHIGAN ST. Following the same pattern, many long In the past decade, the west side standing restaurants and night spots business district has experienced a closed. The numerous hotels that once renewal that has reclaimed a considerable housed business travelers, tourists, and amount of its former retailing prestige. even celebrities, were gradually reduced to This renaissance began in 1982 with the the status of single room occupancy' hotels completion of the Grand Avenue Retail that provided low cost, long-term housing Center. When it opened in August of to the city's poorer classes or, worse, 1982, the Grand Avenue was an imme became transient flophouses before they, diate success that has prompted the too. succumbed to the wrecking ball. refurbishing and upgrading of numerous Paralleling the death of the adjacent buildings in the district and has entertainment district was the decline of helped restore the downtown to its West Wisconsin Avenue as the city's traditional position as a major major retail shopping district. First the retailing center. neighborhood shopping strip, then the The West Wisconsin Avenue enclosed suburban mall, drew thousands Commercial Area is considered to be of customers away from downtown stores. architecturally significant today for its fine With the departure of many small retailers collection of early twentieth century and the growing popularity of the commercial buildings. It contains the city's suburban malls, the downtown by the early largest retail structures as well as the finest 1970s had lost its status as the city's remaining theaters and some of the study number one shopping district in terms of area's best early twentieth century office annual sales. The role of downtown as the buildings. The district is historically city's major retail district was severely significant as Milwaukee's traditional major weakened during this period, as many of retailing and entertainment center. Milwaukee's long-standing, high-quality retailers either went out of business or moved to the suburbs. PAGE 39 h PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT & djb YANKEE HILL HISTORIC AREA within the area bounded by East Mason Street, North Van Buren Street, Ogden In addition to commercial development, Avenue, and Lake Michigan. Yankee Hill the central business district historically was home to many of Milwaukee's pioneer contained extensive residential areas. It civic, financial, and business leaders, as was, in fact, for many years, home to a well as many prosperous middle-class large percentage of Milwaukee's families. Its Yankee origins were reflected population. Commercial and industrial in street names taken from prominent expansion, combined with urban renewal political and financial figures of the day activities, have eradicated most of the including Van Buren, Mason. Cass, Astor, nineteenth century housing stock and Marshall. downtown, with the result that only a small T he remaining building stock spans the amount of it survives today in the Yankee years from about 1850 to 1910 and Hill Section on the east side. In addition includes fine single-family houses, to isolated houses, the principal clusters of apartment buildings, and rowhouses. One historic dwellings are centered around of the three most important remaining Cass and Wells Streets, Cass Street and clusters of historic houses is the Cass Juneau Avenue, and Juneau and Prospect Street-Juneau Avenue area with its fine Avenues. These three groupings illustrate collection of cream brick. Italianate the range of housing types that covered houses, Gothic Revival ecclesiastical this entire section of the city, and much of structures, and period revival structures the west side as well, before most of the representing Elizabethan, Jacobean and downtown's housing stock was replaced in Georgian Revival styles. the twentieth century by apartment buildings, commercial structures or razed This extraordinary collection of 1860s for urban renewal, street widenings, and 1870s upper-middle class and upper surface parking or civic projects. class residences and Gothic style churches represents the work of some of Milwaukee's early settlers from New York and New England established a I residential area on the high ground east of the Milwaukee River and north of downtown. Referred to as Yankee Hill, or npno 'Yankeeberg' by the German community, it was one of the choicest residential mnoo districts in the city during the nineteenth century, and soon some of the city's wealthiest German citizens chose to make it their home as well. Street grading and TO house construction began in the early Yankee I fill 1840s and continued until about 1910. ^/Historic ape .Area Historically Yankee Hill comprised the area extending north from East Wisconsin Avenue to Ogden Avenue, and east of mm Milwaukee Street to the lake. Today the last vestiges of this neighborhood lie nmPo PAGE 40 A PLAN FOR PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF MILWAUKEE'S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT * & The Edward Townsend Mix House on the southwest comer ofJuneau Avenue and Waverly Place about 1875 Milwaukee’s finest architects of the period historically significant as the residence of including Edward T Mix, James Douglas, many prominent Milwaukeeans who made Henry C. Koch, Leonard Schmidtner, important contributions to the William Kimball, and the firm of Charles development of the city. Kirchhoff and Thomas L Rose. The Cass and Wells Street area is The nearby First Ward Triangle historic notable as the last intact grouping of high area contains one of the finest quality middle class houses surviving from assemblages of high style Victorian the Yankee Hill neighborhood to display domestic architecture in Milwaukee. It such a wide range of architectural styles. exemplifies the broad range of styles The wonderfully varied streetscape is popular between 1855 and 1896 for almost a catalogue of the major domestic upper class residences. Represented is architectural styles popular in Yankee Hill some of the best work of the city's leading from 1870 to 1914 and illustrates the architects including the firm of George middle-class residential fabric that once Mygatt and Leonard Schmidtner, Edward permeated Yankee Hill and provided the Townsend Mix, Howland Russel and background context within which some of August Fiedler of Chicago. The district is the city's most imposing homes were built PAGE 41 Other historic preservation related publications prepared by the City of Milwaukee, Department of City Development include: The Ethnic Architecture lour Series: Ethnic Church lour '’1 Ethnic Eth<"cJ. TOUT8. Ethnic Houses lour 1 Tout Ethnic Commercial and 1 Public Buildings Tour I The rich herilJ Of I’he Building Rehabilitation Series: Good for Business - A Guide to Rehabilitating the Exterior of Older Commercial Buildings As Good as New - A Guide for Rehabilitating the Exterior of Your Old Milwaukee Home GOOD FOR As Business i Good As A Guide to Rehabililating the Exteriors of Older Commercial New Buildings CM *KTK For information on purchasing any of these publications please contact: Historic Preservation Section Department of City Development City of Milwaukee 809 North Broadway RO. Box 324 Milwaukee, WI 53201 Phone: 414/286-5707