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Property Record

231 S MAIN ST

Historic Name:
Pabst Brewing Company Tavern / Frank Mrvicka Saloon
Other Name:
Ivanhoe
Reference Number:
11052

Property Location

Location (Address) 231 S MAIN ST
County Racine
City/Village Racine
Township
Unincorporated community
Town
Range
Direction
Section
Quarter Section
Quarter Quarter Section

Property Features

Year Built 1891
Additions
Survey Date 1980
Historic Use tavern/bar
Architectural Style Queen Anne
Structural System
Wall Material Brick
Architect Arnold Heinen
Other Buildings On Site
Demolished No
Demolished Date
Additional Comments A 'site file' (Mrvicka, Frank J. Saloon)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 State Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation.

PAIR OF PYRAMIDAL ROOFED TURRETS FLANKING FRONT GABLE. ELABORATE BARGE BOARDS IN GABLE. CORBELLED PARAPET ALONG SIDE OF ROOF. POLYGONAL 2ND FLR 1/2 TIMBERED BAYS. THE BUILDER WAS ARNOLD HEINEN.

The Pabst Brewing Co. built the Mrvicka Saloon in order to promote the sale of their beer. From the 1920s-1940s Richter's Restaurant, a German restaurant, occupied the building.

Two saloons were built in the district by competing Milwaukee breweries, Pabst and Miller, to promote the sales of their beer. The first was built in 1891 by the Pabst Brewing Company for M.J. Mrvicka. The street front was remodeled in the 1920s to create a half-timbered facade for a well known German restaurant called Richter's, which operated here until the mid 1950s.

The saloon built by the Miller Brewing Company, at 237 Main, is not nearly as picturesque.
Bibliographic References PRESERVATION RACINE, INC. NEWSLETTER, SUMMER 1996. 1890 city directory. Assessor's records. Old Main Street Historic District Walking Tour Guide, 1990

National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings

National/State Register Listing Name Old Main Street Historic District
National Register Listing Date Aug 11, 1987
State Register Listing Date Jan 01, 1989
Contributing Yes
Additional Documentation Dec 10, 2021
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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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