Property Record
916-918 E BRADY ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | |
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| Other Name: | |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 69282 |
| Location (Address): | 916-918 E BRADY ST |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
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| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
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| Year Built: | 1880 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1986 |
| Historic Use: | small retail building |
| Architectural Style: | Queen Anne |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Asphalt |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | East Brady Street Historic District |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 3/9/1990 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 2/1/1990 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. The site file is named 916-918 E. Brady Street. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation-Public History. The 916-918 East Brady Street Building is a two and a half story framed commercial building with a hipped roof. The exterior walls have clapboard siding covered with asphalt siding. The historic exterior features include original wood windows and the second floor has three sets of paired double hung windows. The south facade of the first floor has a glass store front with original block glass transom, the second floor has two paired double hung window frames, and the gable has a single window frame with a decorated bracket on the east and west side. The north facade has a wood porchrail and a single paired window frame on the second floor; and a single double hung window frame on the first floor. The east and west gables have round plaster window frames. The chimney stack appears to be historic. The interior historic features include original wood door frames, several doors with ransoms, floor moldings, staircase with a decorative newel post, wood ceilings, and staircase to the second floor. The radiators and kitchen cabinets appear to the historic. 916-918 E. Brady is a 2+ story balloon framed building with a rectangular footprint, the building has a heavy limestone foundation. This foundation was probably all that was left when a fire destroyed many buildings on the street. The current frame building was built on top of that foundation in the 1880s. The ground floor was originally a retail business, with probably family living quarters on the second floor. The original exterior was wood clapboard, with stickwork detailing and areas of decorative wood shingles. This exterior had been covered with asphalt siding, most likely in the late 40s or early 50s, and protruding decorative details had been removed. This prism glass above the shops plate glass windows extends almost the full width of the building. To the left of the plate glass windows is the entrance to the second floor living quarters. A missing glass transom has been replaced above the door. The entrance to the store had been made smaller with aluminum panels on each side of the door. These were removed and a pair of doors with beveled glass windows replaced the single door, providing both light and an open look to the shop, the doors are in keeping with the time period of the structure since they were salvaged from a circa 1880s building. The roof is hipped (north to south) with gables on the east and the west above the second floor, these gables are covered with original and replacement decorative wood shingles and have the original round window frames in place. Two original decorative wood capitals are situated near the roof. They visually line up with the stickwork on the front of the building, which was revealed when the siding was removed. Two decorative wood panels on the second story, in a style similar to what an elderly neighbor remembered and in a shape revealed in a ghost image have been installed. Four second story front windows were removed and replaced with two windows that were in proportion to the stick detailing and fit into the areas defined by the stickwork. Interior features include wood strip ceilings made of wide boards with beading in the retail area, and maple and oak wood floors. Remodeling int he past has removed a staircase to the attic, and partitioned some larger rooms. |
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| Bibliographic References: |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |