Property Record
114 W WATER
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | |
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| Other Name: | HENRY CARSTENS AND SONS GRANARY |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 2872 |
| Location (Address): | 114 W WATER |
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| County: | Calumet |
| City: | Brillion |
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| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1899 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1979 |
| Historic Use: | Agricultural - outbuilding |
| Architectural Style: | Astylistic Utilitarian Building |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Cream Brick |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | GABLED BLDG WITH SEGMENTAL ARCH WINDOWS IN WALL RECESSES ALTEREATIONS ARE MINOR WITH MANY ADDITIONS TO SURROUNDING PARTS [Date Cnst:(BLDG)] Additional Comments 2023: The building is a three story brick veneered flour mill built in 1899 after a fire destroyed the previous frame-constructed mill on the site. The building has a gable roof, brick corbeling, brick pilasters, and segmentally-arched windows. The one-story rear addition was added between 1900 and 1906 and a small office was added between 1906 and 1913. A large frame-constructed grain elevator was built next to the flour mill in 1899, but it is not extant. The interior of the building retains many of its astylistic utilitarian features, including exposed brick walls, wood floors, wood posts and structural roof elements. History: According to a local history sources, Brillion was an important grain market in the 1870s and 1880s after timber land was cut and cleared. A NRHP nomination for a farmstead nearby indicates that wheat growing was still important in the 1880s because the farm related to the farmstead was still growing a considerable amount of wheat at this time. C. W Behnke built a smaller, frame-constructed flour mill on this site that burned in 1899. He immediately constructed this bigger brick mill. He also built a large frame-constructed grain elevator next to the flour mill. The mill reported a capacity to mill 125 barrels of flour a day. While Behnke was rebuilding his mill, he entered into an agreement with the City of Brillion to generate power for electric lighting in the community. This service began in early 1900 and lasted until 1914 in this building. Behnke sold his mill business to A. F. Paustian in 1907, who continued flour milling and electricity production until 1914, when he sold the electric service to the Wisconsin Public Service Co. In 1916, Paustian sold the business to Henry Carstens and his family, who began to mill a fine grade of flour marketed as White Lily, among other brands. Carstens’ flour mill’s scapacity grew to 200 barrels of flour a day. In the 1920s, Carstens changed the name of the business to the Brillion Mill and Elevator Company. In 1938, Cartens enlarged the farm feed and supply part of the business and sold off the flour milling equipment. He also added a cold storage facility in the basement. Carstens sons, Richard, Karl and Edward joined the business and it was renamed Henry Carstens & Sons Co. Henry Carstens died in 1983 and the company was still operating in 1985. (Carol Cartwright, 2023) |
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| Bibliographic References: |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |