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Summary
Kissel Motor Car Industrial District
STH 83, Hartford, Washington County
Dates of construction: 1905-1920
The Kissel Motor Car Factory consists of 15 interconnected buildings, constructed between 1905 and 1920. These utilitarian wooden structures are faced with brick and stone. Most of the buildings are three stories high with multiple windows, designed to maximize light and ventilation.
The first buildings in this district were constructed for the production of the Kissel Gasoline Engine. In 1906 the decision was made to begin producing automobiles and an additional building, measuring 112 feet by 160 feet, was constructed. This building had a saw-toothed roof line, allowing for natural lighting through a series of windows at the roof. Almost yearly through 1920, new buildings were constructed and existing buildings were expanded to accommodate the growing business. In early 1920s, the company employed over 1200 people. Largely as a result of the success of the Kissel business, the city's population nearly tripled between 1900 and 1920 and the city grew from small agricultural support community to a large manufacturing center. The two most famous automobiles produced at the plant were the 1919 Goldbug Speedster and the 1927 White Eagle.
After production peaked in 1920, the company began a slow decline and within 10 years was a victim of the Great Depression. Automobile manufacturing at the plant ceased in 1931; however, the buildings remained in use in the manufacture of marine products. The complex continues to be used as a production facility.
Property Details
| Criteria | Person,Event |
|---|---|
| Area Of Significance | Community Planning And Development,Industry |
| Period of Significance | 1905-1920 |
| Architectural Style | No Style Listed |
| Architect | Mueller,P.,Ratenbach,John |
| Resource Type | District |
| Historic Use | Manufacturing Facility |
Resources Within The Property
| Contributing Buildings | 11 |
|---|---|
| Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Contributing Objects | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Buildings | 4 |
| Non-Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Objects | 0 |
Designations
State & National Registers of Historic Places
The State Register and National Register recognize buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that are significant in national, state, or local history. The State Historic Preservation Office in conjunction with the National Park Service maintains the list for Wisconsin and makes the data available to the public for research and education.
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Email UsAttribution
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Kissel Ad
1928
Advertisement from "Motor Age" magazine for the new White Eagle Speedster manufactured by the Kissel Motor Car Company of Hartford, Wisconsin. With 115 horsepower, the company bragged "it was a wh...
Fifty Kissel Taxis
August 7, 1929
A line of fifty "Bradford Cabs" manufactured by the Kissel Motor Car Company of Hartford, Wisconsin. Caption reads: "'Bradford Cabs' built by the Kissel Motor Car Co. Fleet of 50 ready for shipment...
Kissel Car Ad
June 1927
An advertisement for the Kissel Custom Built Car published in the June, 1927 issue of the "Wisconsin Motorist" magazine, page 13. The company was the Kissel Motor Car Company in Hartford, Wisconsin.
Kissel Motor Car Company
1911
Photographic postcard view of the Kissel Motor Car Company. The elevated view shows the factory buildings, water towers, railroad cars and track. A dirigible and bi-plane appear to have been added ...
Kissel War Workers
1918
Workers leaving the Kissell Motor Car Company have their identification badges checked. The Hartford company was then building trucks of the Four Wheel Drive Company of Clintonville for the Army. ...
World War I Trucks
1918
Trucks of the Four Wheel Drive Company of Clintonville manufactured at the Kissel Motor Car Company plant in Hartford during World War I, thus uniting in one photograph two early Wisconsin automobi...
