Property Record
1438 Cedar St
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Clarence Wernig "Sunlit Bakery" |
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| Other Name: | T.N.T. Crust (Bakery) |
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| Reference Number: | 1981 |
| Location (Address): | 1438 Cedar St |
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| County: | Brown |
| City: | Green Bay |
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| Year Built: | 1923 |
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| Additions: | C. 1930 1950 |
| Survey Date: | 198520192022 |
| Historic Use: | bakery |
| Architectural Style: | Astylistic Utilitarian Building |
| Structural System: | Concrete Beam |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | N |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | Photo code #2: BR-FRV 1/25,29 Large commercial bakery building in largely intact condition. Original building spans block along Grove Street between Cedar and Morror streets and is a large one story tall brick building with a concrete foundation and a tall raised concrete basement story. Walls are pilastered and the original metal industrial sash type windows are now filled with glass block. A two story tall rectilinear flat roofed office wng was added to the east facing facade of the builing in 1950, and repeats the design of the earlier building. There is a modern rectilinear addition with brick walls and flat roof added to the east facing facade of the building visible on photo (120/22). NAER INVENTORY (06/1979): The current Mrs. Karl's Bakery is primarily a one story structure with red brick exterior, pilastered walls, flat roof, and a rectangular floor plan. The facility measures approximately 55' x 160' and has a concrete foundation. A portion of the facility is three stories in heignt and contains 100,000 lb. bulk flour tanks. Both the bulk flour area and a one-story garage were added to the plant at some point after the initial construction. The facility was constructed in 1923 and opened as Wernig's Sunlit Bakery, manufacturing "Fluffy White" bread. Four years later the facility was sold and renamed Cobb's Sunlit Bakery, manufacturing "Sunbeam" bread. The bakery continued under the Cobb's name until the 1960's, when the plant was sold again and renamed Mrs. Karl's Bakery. Products today consist mainly of sandwich buns, wiener rolls, and "brown-n-serve" rolls under the product name "Mrs. Karl's." Fox River Valley Industrial Survey In 1923, Clarence Wernig established a bakery on the east side of Green Bay. Located at 1438 Cedar Street, the single-story brick building was one of the largest commercial bakeries in the region when it was completed. Wernig’s Bakery advertised the manufacture of “Fluffy White” bread. The business was sold in 1927 and renamed Cobb’s Sunlit Bakery, which manufactured “Sunbeam” bread. Cobb’s Sunlit Bakery maintained a large fleet of trucks during the 1930s and 1940s for deliveries throughout the bakery’s territory in Brown County, and the company rivaled the nearby Bohemian Baking Company, located at 1263 Main Street. The company was sold again in 1960 and renamed Mrs. Karl’s Bakery, a subsidiary of the Interstate Bakeries Corporation, a national chain. The large brick and concrete industrial building span the block along Grove Street between Cedar and Morrow Streets. The original metal sash window openings are now filled with glass block. The building doubled in size in the 1930s with a large single-story expansion to the east in a similar style. A tall flour tank and garage at the northern end of the building were also additions. In 1950, a two-story office wing was added to the east side of the building. The property is presently still a bakery, owned and operated by TNT Crust. The Wernig’s Bakery building is significant under Criterion C: Architecture as an excellent example of an early twentieth century concrete and brick production shed. The period of significance for the property extends from 1923 to 1960. Green Bay Intensive Survey Phases 2, 3 & 4 |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A.) Sanborn-Perris Map Co., Inc. Fire Insurance Map of Green Bay, wisconsin. New York, 1957. (B.) Brown County Tax Rolls. (C.) Green Bay Press-Gazette Tercentennial Issue, 1934. (D.) Louis Janquart, former owner and vice-president, interviewed by Bill Meindl, 09/05/1980. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |