415 N MAIN ST

415 N MAIN ST

Rock

Janesville

1900

1989,2013

industrial bldg/manufacturing facility

Astylistic Utilitarian Building

Brick

Yes

2014

2013: The Rock River Machine Company warehouse, currently Adams Roofing, is a multi-story, brick industrial building resting on a concrete foundation. The building is set back on the large lot and abuts the Rock River at its rear. Constructed between 1909 and 1915, the central portion of the building is a two-story “L” with one-story wings on the north and south sides.(1) A large central sliding door is located on the front (east) facade. Windows on the first floor appear to be original and are 15-over-10, double-hung wood sash. Most windows have arched lintels and feature a concrete sill. Other windows have been replaced with modern vinyl. An additional glass door is located on the south elevation of the building. A one-story concrete wing with a flat roof is also located on this elevation.

Adams Roofing Company is the only extant building of what was once a large industrial complex, the Rock River Machine Company. The company began in 1897 and produced heavy machinery and shop equipment, such as heavy duty punches. The company remained in business until the early 1940s.(2) In 1945 the Adam’s Roofing Company purchased the warehouse and has operated there since. (3)

(1) Map 3, “Janesville, Wisconsin, 1909,” Proquest Digital Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, 1867-1970, http://sanborn.umi.com/ accessed 12 November 2013; Map 3, “Janesville Wisconsin 1915,” Proquest Digital Sanborn Fire Maps, 1867-1970, http://sanborn.umi.com/ accessed 12 November 2013. (2)Carol Cartwright, Scott Shaffer, and Randal Waller, City on the Rock River: Chapters in Janesville’s History (Janesville, Wis.: Janesville Historic Commission, 1998), 70. (3)“Rock River Machine Company Building Purchased by Adams,” Janesville Gazette, 23 October 1945. “Architecture and History Survey: Main Street” WHS project number 14-0067/RO. October 2013. Prepared by Mead & Hunt Inc.

Not Listed