Property Record
8806 N DEERWOOD DR
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Radke's Brown Deer Garage |
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| Other Name: | |
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| Reference Number: | 234404 |
| Location (Address): | 8806 N DEERWOOD DR |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Brown Deer |
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| Year Built: | 1938 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2017 |
| Historic Use: | gas station/service station |
| Architectural Style: | Commercial Vernacular |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Stone Veneer |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. Previous to the construction of the subject structure circa 1938, the property was home to Otto Radke’s blacksmith shop (no longer on premises). The blacksmith business was taken over in 1910 by Otto’s son Walter F., who would establish a service and gas station at the location (addition to original blacksmith shop), which, for a time, sold Wadhams’-brand gasoline. The pumps, at that time, were located along N. Deerwood Drive. In 1938, the subject station was erected. It was run by Walter and his two sons, Erwin and Walter Jr. and they sold Mobil-brand gasoline. Pumps were then located along both N. Deerwood Drive and W. River Lane. In the 1960s, Floyd Lestina began selling cars on the premises, in addition to the service garage business. In 1971, the property was purchased by Marvin and Ken Kaiser and has since operated solely as a service station (presently by Ken’s son Kurt). |
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| Bibliographic References: | Citations for information provided in Additional Comments below: A historic photograph of the current station (included in this report) includes a handwritten date of 1936 on it, Photograph in possession of the building’s current occupant, Kurt Kaiser and located in the subject building. Despite that handwritten date, a 1937 aerial of the property confirms that the earlier building was still located on the property, 1937 aerial available online at https://maps.sco.wisc.edu/WHAIFinder/, Accessed January 2018. A 1938 date of construction concurs with other secondary sources regarding the removal of the blacksmith shop as well as the construction of the new facility, Brown Deer Historical Society Newsletter (April 1975), page 2, Available online at http://content.mpl.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/BrownDeer, Accessed December 2017 and Anderson, “A Street Like Few Others,” Accent (North), 1. Secondary sources also indicate that the station became a Mobil station in 1948; however, the historic photo in possession of Kaiser clearly illustrates that it was a Mobil station as of the photo; the photo of which has been in the building for as long as the current owner can remember. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |