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Milwaukee Cold Storage Co. Building
Map
General information
Architectural styleRomanesque Revival architecture
Address100 S. 2nd St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US
Coordinates43°01′55″N 87°54′44″W / 43.03194°N 87.91222°W / 43.03194; -87.91222
Completed1892
Cost$100,000 (equivalent to $3,400,000 in 2023)
Owner
  • 1892 - Milwaukee Cold Storage Co.
  • 2019 - J. Jeffers & Co.
Technical details
MaterialBrick
Floor count5 stories
Floor area71,500 sq ft (6,640 m2)
Design and construction
Architect(s)
  • Charles D. Crane
  • Carl C. Barkhausen
Architecture firmCrane and Barkhausen

Milwaukee Cold Storage Co. Building was built in 1892 and it was once the location for the Milwaukee Cold Storage Company. At the time of construction it was billed as the largest cold storage house in Wisconsin. It is an historic building constructed in the style of Romanesque Revival architecture and it is located in the Walker's Point Historic District of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

To retain the cold air, the five-story building has walls which are two feet thick and there are not many windows. The building was originally cooled with ice that was taken from the nearby river. After 1910 the building was cooled with a mechanical refrigeration system.

In 2019 the building was sold to a Milwaukee developer. The developer plans to restore the building for new uses. The developer has been involved with converting buildings in Milwaukee for use as apartments

Background[edit]

The Milwaukee Cold Storage Co. Building was constructed in 1892 as a place to store and distribute "butter, cheese, eggs, fruit, game, poultry" and other items. The building was commissioned by E. R. Godfrey, W. H. Stevens, E. J. Lindsay and William Plankinton.[1] The building is five stories tall and had an available 600,000 cubic feet (17,000 m3) of storage. The building also has a basement. The building was constructed for $100,000 (equivalent to $3,400,000 in 2023[2]) and could store 500 train-car loads [A 1] of perishable items at temperatures between 10 and 60 °F (−12 and 16 °C).[4] In 1893 it was called the "largest cold storage house in the State of Wisconsin."[1][4] The building is situated at the junction of the Menomonee River and Milwaukee River at 100 S. 2nd St.[5]

History[edit]

The Milwaukee architects Charles D. Crane and Carl C. Barkhausen were selected to build the structure. The building is in the style of Romanesque Revival architecture[6] and it has 2 ft (0.61 m) walls made of Cream City brick. The building has few windows to minimize the loss of cold air.[1] It is considered to be a historic building and it is located in the Walker's Point Historic District of Milwaukee.[5]

The president of the operation was an inventor named Avelyn I. Dexter. He invented the "Dexter System of Cold Storage" which pushed air over ice to create a refrigeration system. From 1892 to 1910 ice was taken from the Menomonee River to cool the building, but in 1910 the building was cooled with a new refrigeration system which used brine tanks, condensers and ammonia.[1]

On July 30, 1955, there was an ammonia leak on the fifth floor of the building. The Milwaukee Cold Storage Company lost a large quantity of nuts and perishable foods which were stored on the fifth floor as a result of the ammonia fumes. The Milwaukee Cold Storage Company sued the manufacturer of the refrigeration system, the York Corporation. A jury decided that the York Corporation was not at fault for the destruction of the stored items.[7]

The Wisconsin Historical Society surveyed the property in 1984. They have added it to their list in the Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory.[6] The building had been owned by Brian Jost until 2019.[5] In 2019 the building was sold to J. Jeffers & Co. for US$300,000: it was described as a 71,500 sq ft (6,640 m2) warehouse.[8] The Milwaukee developer said that they plan to restore the building for new uses. J. Jeffers has ben converting buildings in Milwaukee for use as apartments.[5]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ A typical train car in 1904 held 17.7 tons of cargo.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Horne, Michael (9 April 2019). "Milwaukee Cold Storage Building Is Unique". Urban Milwaukee. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  2. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  3. ^ New Jersey. New Jersey: New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. 1917. p. 106. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b Ice and Refrigeration. Chicago Illinois: H.S. Rich and Company. 1905. p. 475. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d Daykin, Tom (3 April 2019). "Walker's Point historic building overlooking rivers sold for eventual redevelopment". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Property Record 100 S 2ND ST Architecture and History Inventory". Wisconsin Historical Society. January 2012. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  7. ^ "Milwaukee Cold Storage Co. v. York Corp". Casetext. Casetext Inc. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  8. ^ Zank, Alex (5 August 2019). "Who really owns it?: Milwaukee Cold Storage Co. warehouse". Biz Times Milwaukee Business News. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.

External links[edit]

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_Cold_Storage_Co._Building