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Property Record

214-228 E ERIE ST

Historic Name:
American Biscuit & Manufacturing Company
Other Name:
Northern Telecon
Reference Number:
98274

Property Location

Location (Address)
214-228 E ERIE ST
County
Milwaukee
City/Village
Milwaukee
Township
Unincorporated community
Town
Range
Direction
Section
Quarter Section
Quarter Quarter Section

Property Features

Year Built
1891
Additions
Survey Date
1984
Architectural Style
Structural System
Wall Material
Brick
Architect
Crane and Barkhausen
Other Buildings On Site
Demolished
No
Demolished Date
Additional Comments
A 'site file' 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-Public History. 4-story painted brick, central entrance with arched truck opening, symmetrical facade with wide multi-centered arches, corner pavilions with arcuated cornices, altered 1st floor; Romanesque Revival style. Large warehouse of architectural significance for its relatively intact condition and coordinated five-part design.

Alexander Johnston began a small bakery in 1848 as the A.H. Johnson Co. which, by 1880 was a thriving business called Johnston Bros. In 1890, at its 3rd location on Broadway, it joined the American Biscuit Co., a new corporation "formed to protect western manufacturers from the encroachments of eastern firms." In 1891 this factory was constructed by Robert Johnson, a director, at a cost of $68,000. It was claimed to be the "largest of its kind in the state." In 1894 the firm merged with New York Biscuit Co. and U.S.

Used for banking through the 1940s, it was one of the few buildings that survived the district's 1892 fire. Other than the replacement of brick piers with steel columns, the removal of a 15,000 gallon water tank on the roof and assorted interior alterations, the building is unchanged. Various businesses have used it since 1950.
Bibliographic References
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
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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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Attribution

For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier. 

The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.

For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.

 

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