300 S. Barclay; 139,221 E. Oregon; and 214 E. Florida Streets

Summary

East Oregon and South Barclay Industrial Historic District
300 S. Barclay; 139, 221 E. Oregon and 214 E. Florida Streets, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County
Dates of construction of contributing buildings: 1900-1948
Architects: Kirchhoff and Rose; Robert A Messmer

Milwaukee is a city known for its industrial character. Due to its location on Lake Michigan, its downtown at the confluence of three rivers, and its connection to vast rail lines, it quickly became a booming city of industry. Major manufacturing enterprises that originated in Milwaukee include nationally known breweries such as Pabst, Miller and Schlitz, as well as other big manufacturing companies including Harley-Davidson, Briggs and Stratton, and Allis-Chalmers, among many others.

A neighborhood in Milwaukee that embodies this industrial character is Walker's Point, located south of the Milwaukee and Menomonee rivers. At the turn of the nineteenth century, Walker's Point functioned as Milwaukee's industrial incubator, a place brimming with new ideas and talent. One such talent was the Patton Paint Company, a prominent local business with roots back to 1855. The company established itself locally as a manufacturer of paint and went on to become a nationally respected brand. The Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company acquired the company in 1920 in order to become a competitor in the paint business. Because paints and brushes were distributed through the same channels as glass, this was a logical merger for the two big companies.

Beginning in the early 1900s, several buildings were constructed at this location for the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company's paint and varnish division. The facilities operated as the main research and paint production plant for the company until the 1970s, providing hundreds of jobs in the city of Milwaukee.

The district is significant for its collection of industrial loft buildings, unique for representing various industrial architectural styles prevalent in the respective decades in which they were built. One can trace the evolution of architecture, engineering, and industry through these eight buildings as the construction varies from representing the load-bearing masonry framed lofts of the late 1890s that display a classic three part division of the Chicago Commercial style; to the concrete skeletal-framed building adorned with inverted chevron motifs; to the modern, International style reinforced concrete structure, featuring continuous ribbon windows. The collection of buildings represents the golden age of manufacturing in Milwaukee through the various industrial architectural styles.

The buildings in the district are private. Please respect the rights and privacy of the property owners.

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