Architect: William Fred Dolke, Jr.
Date of Construction: 1929

The Mirro Plant #3 was the production facility for the Mirro Aluminum Company’s popular “Mirro-Craft” line of lightweight and inexpensive family pleasure boats. The success of the Mirro-Craft line during the 1950s and 1960s heralded the City of Manitowoc’s and Mirro’s post-World War II economic growth and capitalized on the nation’s growing enthusiasm for outdoor recreation and pleasure boating.

Mirro Plant #3 in Manitowoc is also one of the last buildings remaining from the massive industrial complex developed by the Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Company, later known as the Mirro Aluminum Company. The company was founded in the late 1890s, launched its flagship “Mirro” brand of cookware in 1917, and rapidly grew to become the largest manufacturer of aluminum cookware in the world. Mirro produced and sold millions of aluminum pots, pans, mixing bowls, coffee pots, and other kitchen utensils, which became commonplace fixtures in most American homes. In the post-World War II period, the company diversified its product lines and expanded its production into a wide variety of aluminum goods, ranging from building siding and storage sheds to aluminum saucer sleds and lightweight aluminum pleasure boats. The Mirro Company served as the cornerstone of Manitowoc’s industrial economy and was the city’s largest single employer through most of the twentieth century.

Mirro Plant #3 was designed by industrial architect William Fred Dolke, Jr (1887-1975) and originally served as a steel plating facility for Mirro cookware handles. After World War II, the building took on an important new role as a testing ground and production facility for the company’s new line of lightweight aluminum pleasure boats known as “Mirro-Craft.” Unveiled in 1958, Mirro-Craft was a key component of the Mirro Company’s successful program of expansion and diversification in the post-war period.