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Property Location
| Location (Address) | 200 SPRING ST |
|---|---|
| County | Eau Claire |
| City/Village | Eau Claire |
| Township | |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Town | |
| Range | |
| Direction | |
| Section | |
| Quarter Section | |
| Quarter Quarter Section |
Property Features
| Year Built | 1888 |
|---|---|
| Additions | C. 1931 |
| Survey Date | 1997 |
| Historic Use | industrial bldg/manufacturing facility |
| Architectural Style | Astylistic Utilitarian Building |
| Structural System | Masonry |
| Wall Material | Brick |
| Architect | |
| Other Buildings On Site | |
| Demolished | No |
| Demolished Date | |
| Additional Comments | The Gould Company plant is located on the southwest corner of Spring Street and Bellevue Avenue in an area dominated by industry. The complex of buildings is composed of brick, block, and metal structures. Parts of the building may date from 1888 when the company was formed; other parts from c. 1931. "The Wisconsin Refrigerator Co., maker of the 'Wisconsin Peerless' was started in 1888 with five small buildings on 2 1/2 acres and grew rapidly to a 17 acre plant. Founding officers of the company were: W.J. Starr, president (residence at 135 Marston Avenue, 2P/24); G.W. Laurence, vice-president; F.H. Graham, secretary; and F.L. Whetstone, treasurer. By 1898 they were turning out 50 refrigerators a day, shipping them to all parts of the United States. Eau Claire Cold Storage Corporation was an outgrowth of the Wisconsin Refrigerator factory. A disastrous fire in 1931 closed down the plant. The new company was formed and capitalized at $200,000. A newly equipped factory had a capacity to produce 50,000 refrigerators a year. In the fall of 1932, they reported the best year of their history including an extraordinary sale of 1,000 refrigerators to the government. The company became a casualty of the depression and closed down operations in 1936. It was reorganized the following year with new capital, but closed shortly thereafter. In 1943 the factory was purchased by White Machine. The White Machine Company was organized in 1911 by A.E. White, who had come to Eau Claire in 1901 as a sawfiler for the Daniel Shaw Lumber Company. The firm originally produced saw tools but when that market slowed, the company moved to a line of engine parts. The Gould Company, which owned the building in 1981, also manufactures engine parts. |
| Bibliographic References | (A) 1889 Sanborn-Perris Map. (B) Jones, J. 1981. American Ice Boxes, p. 74-75. (C) Eau Claire Industrial Review, 1955, p. 51. (D) Another map code for this building is EC 5L/7 and its corresponding Survey map name is Plat Map #4. |
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
| National/State Register Listing Name | Not Listed |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date | |
| State Register Listing Date | |
| Contributing |
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.
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N SIDE OF EAU CLAIRE RIVER, END OF RAILROAD ST
41081
Located in Eau Claire, Eau Claire County
