click zoom to display a high-res image
Property Location
Property Features
Founded in 1844, the J. I. Case Company helped transform Racine into an important manufacturing city. Jerome Case developed a threshing machine that efficiently separated the grain from the stalk and cleaned the chaff from the grain in one operation. Soon his company became Racine's largest employer and the world's leading threshing machine manufacturer.
In 1904, when Case introduced the first all-steel thresher, the company built a new headquarters in the Beaux-Arts Classical style. Inspired by the much-admired Boston Public Library, architects Wilson and Guilbert utilized two-story arched windows separated by classical pilasters along the length of the facade. Classical moldings trim the cornice, and a low-hipped tile roof crowns the building. The entire composition rests atop an elevated basement. Above the central entrance, notice the Case Company’s logo: an eagle perched on a globe. The grand interior space, two stories high, was divided into separate floors in 1957.
SEE R#11353 FOR INDUSTRIAL BLDGS AT STATE AND ROOT RIVER. DESIGNATED RACINE LANDMARK IN 1981.
The design for the headquarters of the J.I.Case Company was based on the Public Library at Copley Square in Boston, which was designed in 1888 and completed in 1895 by McKim, Mead, and White. The administration building once faced a huge complex of industrial buildings, across State Street, which ran easterly to the river and were built by J.I.Case after 1847. They were torn down to by replaced by Case's new international headquarters.
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
Architecture & History Inventory
The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.
Questions?
Wondering about if your property is eligible or notice some information on this property needs to be updated, reach out today!
Email UsAttribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
Access Property Records
Some properties have more materials (correspondence, clippings, historical information, etc.) not in the digital record. If a 'Site File' exists, it's noted in the 'Additional Comments' field. Contact us for an appointment to view these materials.
J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company Advertisement
1925
Front cover of a booklet advertising the J.I. Case Threshing Machine Company's line of tractors. The cover features a color illustration of a farmer using a Case tractor in a field while two childr...
