Towering high above the
commercial and industrial buildings on the near East Side is an impressive
five-story, red-brick warehouse
(photo courtesy Wisconsin Historical Society) at 901 East Washington Avenue.
The Prairie-style building was designed by prominent Madison architect Alvan
Small in 1915. Most recently occupied by the Mautz Paint Company, the factory
had a longer history housing wholesale grocery firms.
However, after standing on
the corner of East Washington and South Paterson Street for 87 years, the
building has reached a critical juncture. A development proposal threatens the
building's future (see sidebar), while at the same time, the warehouse has been
determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Given these
facts, now would seem a good time to celebrate the history, design and
architectural details of the historic Kleuter Wholesale Grocery Warehouse.
Industry flourished on the
near East Side at the turn-of-the-century as available land was developed and
close proximity of the railroad lines was taken advantage of. The Kleuter Brothers had operated a
grocery store at 506 East Wilson Street since about 1868. And in 1915, the Kleuter Co. built the
fireproof warehouse on East Washington Avenue to house the company’s
wholesale grocery business. The
structure was built by the Wisconsin Construction Company of Madison for
$55,000. The Kleuter company sold
Badger Brand canned goods, among other items, and was in business until
1927.
A recent report prepared for
the Department of Transportation (due to the pending reconstruction of East
Washington Ave.) concluded that the Kleuter Wholesale Grocery Warehouse should
be considered eligible for the National Register. The "Determination of Eligibility" form was
researched and prepared by John Vogel of Heritage Research Ltd. of Menominee
Falls.
According to Vogel, the building
is a very good and relatively intact example of early 20th century industrial
architecture with Prairie-influenced ornamentation. The red brick and reinforced concrete construction materials
provided not only a fireproof building, but also the structural strength needed
for a warehouse. The large amount
of windows also provided efficient light for the work and storage areas.
One of the structure’s
defining features are the three, square towers, each decorated with geometric
ornamental designs within the parapet.
The use of raised-brick banding horizontally on the first and fifth
levels further emphasizes the building’s Prairie-style influence.
Also noteworthy according to
Vogel, the building was designed by locally prominent architect Alvan E.
Small. Born in Sun Prairie, Small
began his apprenticeship in 1887 with the notable Madison firm, Conover &
Porter. In 1899, Small spent a
year in Chicago in the office of Louis Sullivan and returned to Madison and
worked until 1926 before retiring. Madison structures listed on the National Register designed
by Small include the Colonial Revival-style Grimm Book Bindery at 454 West
Gilman Street and the Prairie-style Louis Hirsig House at 1010 Sherman Avenue. The Kleuter Wholesale Grocery Warehouse
is considered to be one of his finest, extant, non-residential structures
influenced by the Prairie style.
In 1927, Jerry and Emanuel
Simon purchased the business and warehouse building and it became known as
Simon Brothers Wholesale Groceries.
The Simon Brothers Co. switched to distributing liquor around 1935 and
utilized the warehouse until Mautz purchased it in 1979.
The local Mautz legacy began
in 1892 as a paint and wallpaper store on State Street. Following years of hard work and
beginning to manufacture their own paint, Mautz eventually relocated to 939
East Washington Avenue in 1942, just east of the Kleuter warehouse. Mautz purchased the former Kleuter
warehouse from the Simon Brothers Co. in 1979 to boost production and add
warehouse space.
By 1985, Mautz was producing
1.3 million gallons of paint a year and by 2000, annual sales totaled nearly
$33 million. In November 2001, the
Sherwin-Williams Co. purchased the Mautz brand, formula and 33 stores. The buildings however, were not part of
the deal.
Industrial growth and development at the
turn-of-the-century helped determine a large part of the near East Side’s
character. While a century has
passed and many buildings have come and gone, much of this character and flavor
is still visible. And now, nearly
87 years after the Kleuter Wholesale Grocery Warehouse was built, dominating
the East Washington Avenue landscape for blocks, the buildings fine Prairie
style design and history should not be lost on anyone.
-
By Mark Speltz
----------------------
Mark Speltz is a historian
with Pleasant Company. He recently moved from the Marquette neighborhood to
historic Mineral Point. Article
reprinted from the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation's summer 2002 newsletter.
For more information, visit: www.madisontrust.org
Return to Fall 2002 Table of Contents