Property Record
127 S WASHINGTON ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Kittner Blacksmith Shop |
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| Other Name: | Law Building |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 37935 |
| Location (Address): | 127 S WASHINGTON ST |
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| County: | Brown |
| City: | Green Bay |
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| Year Built: | 1870 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 19862017 |
| Historic Use: | blacksmith shop |
| Architectural Style: | Commercial Vernacular |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Green Bay Downtown Historic District |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 5/13/2019 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 2/16/2018 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | Totally altered first floor. Second floor has original segmental arched, hooded window openings with cut stone sills, although windows themselves are modern. 2017-NRHP District Nomination The early history of this building is very much linked to that of its neighbor at 129 S. Washington. The 1883 Sanborn Map shows a single-story building here as part of the E. C. Kittner Wagon Works, with two forges shown along the south wall. The 1887 and 1894 maps show this as a blacksmith shop with the familiar forges. By 1900, this building had a second story for painting with blacksmith work in the first floor, along with one of the familiar forges. The 1907 Sanborn map depicts the building in this same use. The 1905 City Directory lists Kittner at this location; the 1907 City Directory is the first to list Langstadt-Meyer, a construction supply company, at this location. The first floor of the front façade was totally altered to its current appearance prior to the mid-1970s. This altered façade was most likely constructed between 1967 and 1969—City Directories list a supply company here in 1967, lawyer Owen Monfils in 1968, and then identifies this as the “Law Building” beginning in 1969 with multiple law offices present. The first story façade continues to bear letters identifying this building as the “127 Law Building”. An aluminum-framed entrance is at the right side of the brick façade and a roughly square-shaped window opening with stone sill and stone veneer below is centered in the remaining portion of the façade, at left. The second story retains good integrity with its original (pre-1900) brick façade with four segmental arch window openings, each with cut stone sills. These window openings, fitted with modern replacement windows, are arranged symmetrically on the façade. A corbeled brick parapet tops the front façade. |
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| Bibliographic References: |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |