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Property Location
| Location (Address) | 176 N BROADWAY |
|---|---|
| County | Milwaukee |
| City/Village | Milwaukee |
| Township | |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Town | |
| Range | |
| Direction | |
| Section | |
| Quarter Section | |
| Quarter Quarter Section |
Property Features
| Year Built | 1893 |
|---|---|
| Additions | |
| Survey Date | 1984 |
| Historic Use | fire house |
| Architectural Style | Commercial Vernacular |
| Structural System | |
| Wall Material | Brick |
| Architect | Sebastian Brand |
| Other Buildings On Site | |
| Demolished | No |
| Demolished Date | |
| Additional Comments |
This three-story, red brick fire department building has Queen Anne style characteristics with classical garlands on a bracketed cast-iron cornice, attenuated gothic foliage on the capitals, and rope trim on the lintels. The building is architecturally significant as an intact firehouse with fine details. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE: The preceding firehouse on this site, built in ca. 1886, was destroyed in the 1892 fire which swept the Third Ward, and was the only firehouse to be destroyed by fire in Milwaukee. A new three-story Engine Company #10 was completed in August, 1893. The building had a hose tower in the southwest corner, storage space on the ground floor for a water wagon and horse sheds and hay barn to the rear. The station was steam-heated in 1908 and wired for electricity in 1918. The building remained largely intact form its abandonment in 1949 until it was altered for new use by Beck Box and Label Co., located next door. In 1968, it was refurbished to serve as a background in "Gaily, Gaily," a motion picture filmed in the Third Ward and set in turn of the Century Chicago. The firehouse is one of the best-preserved structures in the neighborhood. |
| Bibliographic References | JANESVILLE GAZETTE 8/4/1996. Historic Third Ward Walking Tour, Historic Third Ward Association, 1998. Building Permit. Historic Third Ward Historic Walking Tour, Historic Third Ward Association, 2009. |
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
| National/State Register Listing Name | Historic Third Ward District |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date | Mar 08, 1984 |
| State Register Listing Date | Jan 01, 1989 |
| Contributing | Yes |
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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