206-214 Waubesa St | National or State Registers Record | Wisconsin Historical Society

National or State Registers Record

206-214 Waubesa St

National or State Register of Historic Places
206-214 Waubesa St | National or State Registers Record | Wisconsin Historical Society
NAMES
Historic Name:Madison Brass Works
Reference Number:16000738
PROPERTY LOCATION
Location (Address):206-214 Waubesa St
County:Dane
City/Village:Madison
Township:
SUMMARY
Madison Brass Works
206-214 Waubesa Street
Madison, Dane County
Dates of Construction: 1918, 1929, 1936, 1938, 1941, 1952, 1959

The Madison Brass Works is unique in Madison; a specialty manufacturer which, over the course of its 76-year history, experienced growth and expansion despite the specificity of its product and the constraints of the railroad supply and distribution system manufacturers depended upon to bring their products to customers. The Madison Brass Works manufactured brass castings and fittings, including components that were essential parts of products made by other companies. The firm was the only brass foundry in Madison, and continued in business until 1994.

The Madison Brass Works was established during an era of discriminatory freight rates, imposed by the railroads and putting the small city of Madison at a disadvantage compared to larger cities such as Milwaukee. This environment, in turn, influenced the development of industry in Madison. While Madison did have a few larger manufacturers, the controls imposed by the railroad effectively limited manufacturing to small-scale plants with local or regional markets, restraining the growth of Madison’s industrial sector particularly in comparison with that of Milwaukee. Discriminatory freight rates impacted industrial development in Madison from the arrival of the first railroad in 1856 until World War II. Despite these challenges, the Madison Brass Works found a way to prosper, its success demonstrated in the expansion of the markets it served; the growth of the business necessitating the expansion of the manufacturing plant; and the company’s expansion then sustained production even during a general contraction in manufacturing in Madison.

The Madison Brass Works is an irregularly-shaped, astylistic utilitarian building, composed of three sections: foundry, office, and storage. The foundry was erected in four phases with the original part dating to 1918.

This property is private. Please respect the rights and privacy of the owners.

PROPERTY FEATURES
Period of Significance:1918-1966
Area of Significance:Industry
Applicable Criteria:Event
Historic Use:Industry/Processing/Extraction: Manufacturing Facility
Architectural Style:Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements
Resource Type:Building
DESIGNATIONS
Historic Status:Listed in the State Register
Historic Status:Listed in the National Register
National Register Listing Date:10/24/2016
State Register Listing Date:08/19/2016
NUMBER OF RESOURCES WITHIN PROPERTY
Number of Contributing Buildings:1
Number of Contributing Sites:0
Number of Contributing Structures:0
Number of Contributing Objects:0
Number of Non-Contributing Sites:0
Number of Non-Contributing Structures:0
Number of Non-Contributing Objects:0
RECORD LOCATION
National Register and State Register of Historic Places, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin

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National Register of Historic Places Citation
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