Property Record
4400 W NATIONAL AVENUE
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | HARNISCHFEGER CORPORATION |
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| Other Name: | P&H MINING EQUIPMENT |
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| Reference Number: | 221964 |
| Location (Address): | 4400 W NATIONAL AVENUE |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
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| Year Built: | 1905 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2012 |
| Historic Use: | industrial building |
| Architectural Style: | Neoclassical/Beaux Arts |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | Henry Harnischfeger and Alonzo Pawling founded the Pawling & Harnischfeger Machine and Pattern Shop in 1884. In its early days, P&H built carving machines, brick-making machines and a special device called the poppet valve governor, designed for use on slide valve steam engines by Bruno Nordberg (who later founded the Nordberg Manufacturing Company). Another future industrial giant, the E.P. Allis Company – later Allis-Chalmers – asked Pawling and Harnischfeger to building the first electric traveling crane in 1887. The result was so successful that P&H became permanently associated with the crane industry. In 1903, the company established itself at the subject location with its plant designed for the manufacture of electric traveling cranes and other heavy machinery. In 1911, ill-health forced Pawling to dissolve the partnership and the name of the firm was changed to Harnischfeger Corporation, although the P&H trademark was retained. In 1915, P&H built a mechanized trencher using conveyor buckets and boom & wheel type excavators soon followed. Harnischfeger’s product line ultimately developed to include three categories: construction equipment, mining & electrical equipment, and material handling equipment and systems. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Harry H. Anderson and Frederick I. Olson, Milwaukee: At the Gathering of the Waters (1981), page 193 |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |