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Summary
Square D Company/Industrial Controller Division
710 South 3rd Street, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County
Date of Construction: 1913; 1929 addition
Architect: Frank L. Bader; Fitzhugh Scott (addition)
The Square D Company/Industrial Controller Division building was the location of the firm's offices and manufacturing plant from 1925 to 1940. Incorporated in May of 1910 as the Independent Electric Manufacturing Company, the business name was changed to the Industrial Controller Company in 1914. Originally located at 886 Greenbush Street, Milwaukee, business growth led Industrial Controller to purchase the subject building in 1925. Manufacturers of electric motor control devices, Industrial Controller merged in 1929 with the Square D Company of Detroit, producers of electrical distribution equipment. This consolidation gave Square D a well-established position in the growing business of automatic electric controls for industrial use and the Milwaukee operations were thereafter referred to as the Square D Company/Industrial Controller Division.
With the advent of utilizing electricity for power, the firm produced motor controls, pressure regulating switches, starters and other products that controlled and regulated motor speed in industrial applications. The company grew and developed during the period when other Milwaukee-based firms, namely, Cutler-Hammer and Allen-Bradley, were also leaders in the same field. In 1931, this facility featured 150 employees. Business at the Industrial Controller Division grew 25% from 1932 to 1933 and more than doubled in 1934 when the plant employed 250 individuals. Innovators in their field, the Square D Company/Industrial Controller Division featured Harmon L. Van Valkenburg as a senior vice-president and chief engineer. Van Valkenburg held sixty patents during his career with the company, many of which were developed during the occupancy of the subject building. Indeed, throughout the history of the Square D Company, research and development was critical to the firm's growth and, in the late 1970s, it was cited that most of their 20,000 products were the result of their own design program.
Business growth led to the construction of a new manufacturing plant in 1940-41 located at North Richards Street and East Capitol Drive in Milwaukee. After the Square D Company/Industrial Controller Division relocated to this facility, the subject building was vacated. This building is significant for its association with the Square D Company/Industrial Controller Division for its innovations and contributions to the field of electric motor control technology.
Property Details
| Criteria | Event |
|---|---|
| Area Of Significance | Industry |
| Period of Significance | 1925-1940 |
| Architectural Style | Late 19th And Early 20th Century American Movements |
| Architect | Bader, Frank L.,Scott, Fitzhugh |
| Resource Type | Building |
| Historic Use | Manufacturing Facility |
Resources Within The Property
| Contributing Buildings | 1 |
|---|---|
| Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Contributing Objects | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Buildings | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Objects | 0 |
Designations
| Historic Status | Listed in the State Register |
|---|---|
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Aug 15, 2014 |
| Historic Status | Listed in the National Register |
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Oct 22, 2014 |
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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