MILWAUKEE - The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Hotel Schroeder in the National Register of Historic Places on May 9, 2024. Constructed in 1928, the hotel is located in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County.

Known today as the Hilton Hotel in downtown Milwaukee, the Hotel Schroeder was originally built as the flagship of Walter Schroeder’s hotel chain. A Milwaukee native, he owned and operated hotels throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan by the time it was constructed. The 25-story Art Deco building was designed by the prominent firm of Holabird and Roche. It is particularly noteworthy as it represents the firm’s transition from the neoclassical styles to the more modern styles promoted by the younger Holabird and Root, who took over the firm.

Schroeder recognized the need for a downtown upscale hotel for people passing through the city. The hotel represents the thriving economy of the 1920s in Milwaukee, in addition to the successful hotel chain. Schroeder resided in a high-end penthouse apartment. The building is also a high style representation of the Art Deco style, both visible in the exterior and primary interior spaces. Character-defining features include block forms with low-relief stone ornament, fluting, and spandrel panels with floral designs, as well as highly ornate public spaces with gilded and metal plated elements that exhibited its flagship status.

Additional information for the Hhotel Schroeder is available at:

https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR2798

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: https://wisconsinhistory.org/hp/register/

About the Wisconsin Historical Society

The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.