Property Record
2551-2565 N DOWNER AVE
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Neacy Read Investment Co. |
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| Other Name: | Webster-Bellview (West) |
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| Reference Number: | 78302 |
| Location (Address): | 2551-2565 N DOWNER AVE |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
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| Year Built: | 1916 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 19932016 |
| Historic Use: | automobile showroom |
| Architectural Style: | Twentieth Century Commercial |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | Martin Tullgren |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| National Register Listing Date: | |
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| Additional Information: | This structure is an excellent example of a WWI period commercial building. A former automobile showroom, it was probably one of the first on the east side. It was built to cater to well-to-do east-siders who needed an indoor facility to store their expensive vehicles and the frequent services of skilled mechanics to keep the cars in good running order. Cars were also bought and sold at these garages, but historically, the focus of both businesses was service and storage. During the early part of the 20th century, cars had to be repaired frequently because they were highly prone to damage and breakdowns from a combination of very poor road conditions and mechanical defects. The Downer Garage also (2551 N Downer Ave) also operated a driving school in addition to servicing and storing automobiles. 2016- "The Downer Garage is a Twentieth Century Commercial-style, three story brick building constructed in 1916 to sell, repair, and store early automobiles. Although the windows are all replacements, they retain the original divided light patterns of the historic windows. A metal cornice tops the building; this cornice is broken by a parapet capping the central three bays of the front (Downer Ave) elevation. In the center of the shaped parapet is a unique limestone plaque that depicts the front end of an early automobile, believed to be the only such plaque in the city. The interiors of the building are believed to be heavily altered, since the first floor houses a coffee shop and a bookstore, and the upper floors house offices and medical clinics. The Downer Garage is considered a contributing resource in the Milwaukee-designated North Downer Avenue Commercial Historic District. However, the Downer Avenue historic district is not listed in the NRHP. The Downer Garage is within the APE for proposed station site #56- Downer/Webster." -"Mult. Locations, Milwaukee, 7.5 series", WisDOT #2190-06-01, Prepared by Kelly Noack and Justin Miller, UWM-CRM (2016). Resurveyed 2016 by UWM-CRM as part of Milwaukee Bublr bikeshare project. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Tax Program. Permit. Final Historic Designation Study Report: North Downer Avenue Commercial District (Jakubovich: 2001). |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |