503 E Erie St

503 E Erie St

Milwaukee

Milwaukee

1915

1984,2025

depot

Neoclassical/Beaux Arts

Brick

No

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, State Historic Preservation Office. 2025; The Neoclassical-style Chicago and Northwestern Railway Interlocking Tower was constructed in 1915. The two-story tower has a brown brick exterior, a hip roof sheathed in metal panels, and a brick chimney stack that pierces the southern roofline. The brick exterior is organized into bays exclusively at the second level by brick piers crowned in corbeled brick capitals which overlap the concrete frieze line. Fenestrations are primarily accented with concrete lintels, concrete sills, and brick corbeling. Windows vary in size and are a mix of replacement double-hung, six-light, and singular square panes. Some windows are infilled. The hip roofline is of moderate overhang with exposed rafters. The exterior staircase was removed circa 1991, and the exterior doors were subsequently replaced. This resource was evaluated for the National Register under Criteria A, B, and C. The Interlocking Tower was built concurrently with the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Swing Bridge #1556 in 1915, replacing an earlier 1898 bridge. The section of railway controlled by the Tower across the Milwaukee River was discontinued by the Chicago & Northwestern line in phases between the 1970s and 1980s. The trestle remained in use until the 2000s. In 2017, the property’s adjacent tracks were removed, and the area was converted into Trestle Park. During decommissioning, Swing Bridge #1556 was parallelly rotated in the waterway to preserve it (between 1976-81). The historic railway signals were slightly relocated from the street to the park’s entrance in 2017. Preliminary research does not suggest any potential significance under Criterion A: History, or Criterion B: People. Under Criterion C: Architecture, the Tower was converted into a residence in 1991. It exhibits modified fenestrations and replacement glazing, as well as the loss of exterior stairwell connecting two levels and a modified interior layout. There remains several extant interlocking towers in the Milwaukee area; this example lacks sufficient architectural interest and integrity to be eligible for the National Register within the context of Milwaukee.

Michael Horne, “Tiny Railroad Tower House is Unique,” Urban Milwaukee, August 24, 2017, https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2017/08/24/house-confidential-tiny-railroad-tower-house-is-unique/. “Trestle Park,” Wisconsin Architect Magazine, March 3, 2021, https://wisconsinarchitect.org/project/trestle-park/. Dan Maners, “North American Interlockings,” Accessed October 10, 2025, https://northamericaninterlockings.com/states__a-z_and__canada_8.html.

Not Listed