Property Record
2650 N Doctor Martin Luther King Jr Dr (AKA 2650 N 3RD ST (2650 N MARTIN LUTHER KING DR)
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | |
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| Other Name: | U.S. Post Office |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 74793 |
| Location (Address): | 2650 N Doctor Martin Luther King Jr Dr (AKA 2650 N 3RD ST (2650 N MARTIN LUTHER KING DR) |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
| Range: | |
| Direction: | |
| Section: | |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1938 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1991 |
| Historic Use: | post office |
| Architectural Style: | Art/Streamline Moderne |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | Louis A. Simon; Neal Melick |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| Additional Information: | A 'site file' titled "U.S. Post Office" exists for this property. 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. GENERAL DESCRIPTION: THE BUILDING IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE ART MODERN STYLE. THE PLAN IS IRREGULAR WITH THE PUBLIC ENTRANCE/LOBBY ON THE KING DRIVE FACE. THE ELEVATION IS ORGANIZED SYMMETRICALLY ABOUT THE ENTRY DOORS. THE MAIN BLOCK OF THE BUILDING IS TWO STORIES IN HEIGHT. THE REAR BLOCK IS ONE AND A HALF STORIES AND SLIGHTLY WIDER CREATING THE IMAGE OF TWO RECTANGLES BEING MERGED. THE BUILDING IS CONSTRUCTED OF TAN BRICK ON A LIMESTONE BASE. THE WINDOWS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ENTRY DOORS ARE TRIMMED WITH CARVED LIMESTONE PANELS. THE BALANCE OF THE BUILDING IS TRIMMED WITH LIMESTONE INCLUDING A LIMESTONE HAND ACROSS THE FRONT FACE OF THE BUILDING AT THE LOWER SILL LEVEL OF THE SECOND FLOOR WINDOWS. THERE IS A METAL PLAQUE HONORING DOCTOR KING OVER THE ENTRY DOOR. THERE ARE CARVED RELIEF PANELS OVER THE MAIN ENTRY AND THE LARGE FLANKING WINDOWS. THE CENTER PANEL FEATURES AN EAGLE AND THE TWO FLANKING PANELS ARE STAR MOTIFS. THE ENTRY STAIRS ARE OF GRANITE WITH LIMESTONE SIDES. THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING HAS THE ORIGINAL TERRAZZO FLOOR, AND MARBLE WALLS. THE ORIGINAL VESTIBULE REMAINS. THE PLAQUE MOUNTED IN THE LOBBY NOTES: "UNITED STATES POST OFFICE, MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, UPPER THIRD STREET STATION, DEDICATED MAY 14, 1938 BY THE UPPER THIRD ST. COM'L ASSN. JAMES A FARLEY, POSTMASTER GENERAL, JOHN A. FLEISSNER, POSTMASTER." THE BUILDING, WHICH IS IN GOOD CONDITION, IS LOCATED IN AN INNER CITY COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS DISTRICT. ARCHITECTURAL/ENGINEERING SIGNIFICNACE: THIS POST OFFICE IS ONE OF THE BRANCH POST OFFICES IN THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE SERVING THE NEAR NORTH SIDE. IT IS LARGER THAN MOST OF THE POST OFFICES SURVEYED AS PART OF THIS EFFORT. ALUMINUM STORM WINDOWS HAVE BEEN PLACED OVER THE ORIGINAL WINDOWS. THIS POST OFFICE DOES NOT HAVE THE INTERIOR ARTWORK OF SOME OF THE OTHERS SURVEYED. ITS ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN IS A SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF THE STYLE WHICH IS BETTER REPRESENTED IN SOME OTHER EXAMPLES. NO EVIDENCE OF HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE WAS DISCOVERED FOR A REVIEW OF USPS RECORDS AND LOCAL HISTORIC RESOURCES |
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| Bibliographic References: | Plaque in lobby. Post office records. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |