Property Record
362 BROAD ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Orton C. Little Residence |
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| Reference Number: | 60345 |
| Location (Address): | 362 BROAD ST |
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| County: | Winnebago |
| City: | Menasha |
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| Year Built: | 1920 |
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| Survey Date: | 20092016 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Bungalow |
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| Wall Material: | Clapboard |
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| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | 2016- "This 2-story Bungalow was constructed in 1920. It is rectangular in plan with a red brick foundation, vinyl siding, and an asphalt-shingled cross-gabled roof. The front elevation faces south and is asymmetrical in plan with a large, hipped-roof porte-cochere and porch projecting from the southwest corner. The porch has red brick half-walls and its roof supports, as well as those of the porte-cochere are comprised of red brick piers capped by groups of small tapered wood piers. The façade of the house contains a bank of three 4-over-1 windows and a single front door. The second story contains a pair of 4-over-1 windows and is clad in synthetic shingles." -"Menasha, Broad St: Tayco St to Racine St", WisDOT#4992-00-55/58, Prepared by Gail Klein, (2016). #590. Porte-cochere. Orton C. Little was an inventor, industrialist, and Menasha booster. In 1893 he formed the O. C. Little Pulley Coating Co. with Maximillian Schoetz, whom he bought out in 1906.(A) Renaming the business Onward Manufacturing Co. (83-29, 316 Racine Street), Little produced his many inventions which included the "All Right Window Fastener," the "Automatic Cushion Screen Door," and the "Furniture Sliding Shoe."(B) A promoter of civic improvements, Little fought for city water and cement sidewalks, the latter effected by ordinance in 1904.(C) In 1920 Little demolished the residence on the corner of Broad and Milwaukee to build this home.(D) The Orton C. Little House is associated with the life of a minor yet prolific inventor. Further research on the significance of his inventions and the longevity of Onward Manufacturing Co. would strengthen the significance of his life. Situated just north of the central business district, the Orton C. Little house is a two-story front gable. The building configuration is rectangular and the roof is multigable. The roofing material is asphalt, the walls are clapboard and asphalt, and the foundation is brick. The windows are double-hung, and the upper sash is divided by three verticle muntins. On the southwest corner of the house is an unusual feature for a house of this age: a brick porte-cochere with a roof hipped to a deck. The Orton C. Little House has integrity but lacks the architectural distinction of significance. 2009--Since last surveyed in 1984, no apparent exterior changes have been made to the house. Resurveyed April 2016: House is being reclad in vinyl siding. Little was the founder of the Onward Manufacturing Company (previously the O.C. Little Pulley Coating Company) which produced several of his own inventions including the “All Right” window fastener, an automatic screen door cushion, a residential humidifier, a footless radiator, and a sliding furniture shoe. The company was established in 1893 with Little serving as its president until his death in 1927; Onward Manufacturing Company continued its operations at least through the early 1940s when its production decreased due to the war effort. Little held patents for 22 of his own inventions in both the United States and Canada. Locally, Little was also a proponent of various civic improvements including the establishment of a city water utility and the construction of cement sidewalks. Although he was well-known locally as an inventor and president of the Onward Manufacturing Company, no information was found to suggest that Little’s inventions were of surpassing importance or that his manufacturing company (which is no longer extant) was a major source of employment within the City of Menasha. |
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| Bibliographic References: | #690. (A) Augustin, C. J. "Semi-Centennial Edition of The Menasha Press." Menasha Press, 1898. Menasha, Wisconsin. Page 51. Menasha Record; January 12, 1906; page 5, column 6. (B) Ibid.; February 1, 1906; page 5, column 5. (C) Menasha Press; June 11, 1904; page 1, column 6. (D) Menasha Record; April 10, 1920; page 4, column 1. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |