119 ELLIS ST

119 ELLIS ST

Kewaunee

Kewaunee

1937

1991

post office

Art/Streamline Moderne

Brick

Louis Simon

No

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. APPEARS TO MEET CRITERIA C FOR LISTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER BASED UPON THE INTACT NATURE OF ITS EXTERIOR AND THE WPA ARTWORK FOUND IN ITS INTERIOR. NOTE: 7/15/98 NOMINATION IN-HOUSE AND PENDING. THE BUILDING IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE ART MODERNE STYLE. THE PLAN IS RECTANGULAR WITH THE PUBLIC ENTRANCE/LOBBY ON THE ELLIS STREET FACE. THE ELEVATION IS ORGANIZED SYMMETRICALLY ABOUT THE ENTRY DOOR. THE BUILDING IS CONSTRUCTED OF TAN BRICK WITH LIMESTONE TRIM, AND A BRICK FOUNDATION. THE WINDOWS ARE SET IN RECESSED PANELS WITH LIMESTONE TRIM. THERE ARE LIMESTONE RELIEF PANELS OVER THE ENTRY DOOR AND SIDE WINDOWS SHOWING A TRAIN, PLANE AND BOAT. THE WINDOW STORMS, ENTRANCE DOOR AND TRMASOM PANEL ARE BRONZE FINISHED ALUMINUM AND NOT ORIGINAL. THERE IS A LIMESTONE COURSE AROUND THE BUILDING LOCATED SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE INSET PANELS ON THE FRONT SIDE. THIS EXAMPLE HAS RETAINED SOMEWHAT MORE OF ITS ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY THAN THE SIMILAR BUILDING IN PRAIRIE DU CHIEN. THE ENTRY STAIRS ARE GRANITE WITH BRICK AND LIMESTONE SIDES. THERE ARE POLE LAMPS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE STAIRS. THE CORNERSTONE NOTES: "HENRY MORGENTHAU, JR., SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, JAMES A. FARLEY, POSTMASTER GENERAL, LOUIS A. SIMON, SUPERVISING ARCHITECT, NEAL A. MELICK, SUPERVISING ENGINEER, 1938." THE INTERIOR HAS THE ORIGINAL TILE FLOOR AND WAINSCOT. THE WALLS AND CEILING ARE OF PLASTER. THE WOOD WINDOWS, MARBLE SILLS, WOOD TRIM AND WOOD VESTIBULE REMAIN. THERE IS A MURAL ON ONE WALL OF THE LOBBY SIGNED "PAUL FAULKNER." THE BUILDING IS OF SIMILAR DESIGN TO THE POST OFFICE IN PRAIRIE DU CHIEN, WI, WHICH DATES FROM THE SAME YEAR. THE BUILDING, WHICH IS IN GOOD CONDITION, IS LOCATED ON A STREET OF THE MAIN THOROUGHFARE, IN THE BUISINESS DISTRICT, ADJACENT TO A RESIDENTIAL AREA. ARCHITECTURAL/ENGINEERING SIGNIFICANCE: THE KEWANEE POST OFFICE APPEARS TO MEET CRITERIA C FOR LISTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER BASED UPON THE INTACT NATURE OF ITS EXTERIOR AND THE WPA ARTWORK FOUND IN ITS INTERIOR. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: THIS BUILDING IS THE FIRST FEDERALLY-OWNED POST OFFICE IN KEWAUNEE. IT WAS ORIGINALLY OCCUPIED IN JUNE OF 1938. PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTION OF THIS BUILDING, POSTAL SERVICES WERE CONDUCTED IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS SELECTED BY A SERIES OF LOCAL POSTMASTERS. THIS POST OFFICE WAS ONE OF SEVERAL CONSTRUCTED IN WISCONSIN BY THE FEDERAL PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION IN THE 1930'S. (SEE BIB. REF. B). THERE IS A MURAL IN THE LOBBY OF THE BUILDING PAINTED BY PAUL FAULKNER AND ENTITLED "WINTER SPORTS." IT IS FEATUED IN A STUDY OF WPA MURALS WHICH SAID THIS MURAL WAS BASED ON AN ENTRY BY THE ARTIST IN THE 1939 WAUSAU COMPETITION. (SEE BIB. REF. C).

A. DATE OF CONSTRUCTION - BUILDING CORNERSTONE. B. "AMERICAL BUILDS: THE RECORD OF THE PWA," PUBLIC WORKS ADMINISTRATION, WASHINGTON, D.C., 1939, APPENDIX. C. MARLING, KARAL ANN, "WALL-TO-WALL AMERICA: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF POST OFFICE MRUALS IN THE GREAT DEPRESSION," MINNEAPOLIS, 1982, P. 206.

Kewaunee Post Office

Oct 24, 2000