Zoological Gardens, 2131 N. Main St., Racine, Racine County

Many of Racine's historic brick buildings were made of cream brick, a local build­ing material manufactured in the city's brickyards from 1836 to 1914. Recognized by its pale yellow color, the city's cream brick was molded from calcium and mag­nesium-rich clay deposits found along Lake Michigan's shore. Proving to be a durable masonry product, the local brick was used in the construction of several hundred workers' cottages.

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[Source: McBride, Sarah Davis. History Just Ahead (Madison:WHS, 1999).]