Property Record
3131 S 27TH ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Leon's Frozen Custard |
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| Reference Number: | 221658 |
| Location (Address): | 3131 S 27TH ST |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
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| Year Built: | 1942 |
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| Additions: | 1955 |
| Survey Date: | 20122024 |
| Historic Use: | restaurant/supper club |
| Architectural Style: | Contemporary |
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| Wall Material: | Stone Veneer |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | N |
| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | Leon H. Schneider opened Leon’s Frozen Custard on 1 May 1942 in the subject building. He was born in Minnesota and later moved to Milwaukee with his family. He graduated from the Milwaukee Technical High School and worked with several custard stand owners in the 1930s, as well as for two years as a custard salesman with a traveling carnival. He remodeled the stand in 1955 into its current appearance – the remodel added the broad canopy and distinctive neon sign. Although the popularity of frozen custard has waned throughout much of the nation, it has remained a distinctive item in Milwaukee’s popular culture. The treat’s popularity can be traced directly to Schneider, who in the 1960s also repaired and manufactured frozen custard machines after manufacturing companies ceased building and servicing them. He also assisted other area businessmen with establishing their own frozen custard concerns. He died in 1991 and the business remains in the family. |
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| Bibliographic References: | "Leon's Frozen Custard Founder Dies in Florida," Milwaukee Journal, 14 December 1991, B1, 3. "Architecture/History Survey of S. 27th Street," WisDOT #2265-08-70, Prepared by Heritage Research (2012). |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |