Property Record
221 E BUFFALO AVE
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | National Distilling Co. |
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| Other Name: | M. A. Lichter Co. |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 29279 |
| Location (Address): | 221 E BUFFALO AVE |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1893 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1984 |
| Historic Use: | small office building |
| Architectural Style: | Romanesque Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | Crane & Barkhausen |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Historic Third Ward District |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 3/8/1984 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 1/1/1989 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | See HAER Form. M in the photo codes is short for MVIS negatives. This four-story red brick building has decorative stone accents on the first floor including pilasters, which divide the structure into three centered arches, and a stubby column at the northwest corner. Triple round arched windows on the fourth floor flank a large round arch in the central pavilion. Elaborate foliage is visible in the tympanum and on the first floor capitals. The building is a representative example of the Victorian Reomanesque style. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE: The Wm. Bergenthal Co., (incorporated in 1874) owned the Medow Spring Distillery, a "mammoth" facility located four miles out of town on the Milwaukee River. Reorganized in 1882 by August Bergenthal and A. M. Grau into the National Distilling Co., the firm opened a new distillery in the Menomonee Valley with offices and a store on Erie Street. This building , although identified as a distillery on the original building permit, is believed to have been used primarily for offices, showrooms and storage. The firm name was changed to Red Star Yeast with the advent of Prohibition, and the firm produced industrial alcohol, vinegar and yeast. Now owned by Universal Foods, Red Star Yeast still operates its Valley Plant and ranks as the second largest yeast producer in the country. This building was bought in 1963 by the present owner for drapery assembly, offices and a showroom. The Lichter drapery and carpet business occupies the first floor, Chicago & Northwestern Transporation Co.'s freight office the second, Spectracolor ( a photo-engraver) the third, and fourth floor is vacant. Although all but the fourth floor round-arch windows have been replaced, the building is in very good condition. |
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| Bibliographic References: | A. Building permit. B. Historic Third Ward Walking Tour, Historic Third Ward Association, 1998. Plaque. Historic Third Ward Historic Walking Tour, Historic Third Ward Association, 2009. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |