Property Record
228-230 W WISCONSIN
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Emder House |
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| Other Name: | Variety Discount |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 3730 |
| Location (Address): | 228-230 W WISCONSIN |
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| County: | Columbia |
| City: | Portage |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
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| Year Built: | 1869 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1992 |
| Historic Use: | lodging-hotel |
| Architectural Style: | Romanesque Revival |
| Structural System: | Brick |
| Wall Material: | Cream Brick |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Portage Retail Historic District |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 4/27/1995 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 10/24/1994 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | Commercial block; parapet with corbelling; round arch lintels with keystones along second and thrid floors; second floor north windows have corbel stops; continuous sills along third floor; first floor store front replaced or covered. Dave Eulberg (1993) identified the building as the former Emder House. Sanborn-Perris Map Co.: 1929: Emder Hotel. 1918: same: sample room, kitchen, dining room, hotel, office, etc. 191, 1901, 1894: same. 1889: same, hotel, office. dining room, laundry, kitchen, sample room, saloon. 1885: same, saloon, sample rooms, laundry, kitchen, dining room, office. Columbia Co. Treasurer 1863- 1915-20: J. A. Fleming and J.H. Wells. 1895-1910: Wells, Wells, and McConochie. 1870-1890L Henry Emder. The rise in property valuation suggests construction in 1869-70 perhaps as a single unit or with a second unit added in 1870. Directories: 1955: Adams Beer and Liquor Store, Columbus Milk and Ice Cream Co., The Cupboard, Milwaukee Journal, Nehrlich Flower Shop (Johnson Printing Co.). 1937: no Hotel Emder (Commonwealth Telephone Co.). 1929: (228) Hotel Emder and the Central Wisocnsin Transportation bus station (Smith-Baumann Directory Co.). 1917-18: (228) New Emder Hotel, James Fleming (Farrell). 1915-16: Emder House, J.H. Wells, prop. steam heat and gas in every room, fine commercial sample rooms (R.L. Polk & Co.). 1910: (228) Emder House, J.H. Wells, prop. (Voshardt). 1908-09: Emder House (S.H.Moore). 1897-98: Emder House, J.H. Wells, prop. Headquarters for Commercial Men, Free Bus to and from all Trains, Cook cor Wisconsin (R.L. Polk & Co.). 1893-94: Emder House, J.H. Wells, prop. (R.L. Polk & Co.). 1890: Emder House, Henry Emder, prop. (Wright). 1886: Emder, Henry, prop. Emder House (Rockwood and Goodell). 1873: Emder, H. Hotel (Platt). 1870: Emder, Henry, Hotel, Wisconsin Street (Chapin). 1865: Emder, Henry, prop. National Hotel, Wisconsin (Hawes). 1868 (Rugen): does not show the Emder House in the Bird's Eye View. From 1859 to about 1870, Henry Emder operated the National Hotel south of the canal along E. Wisconsin. In 1870, he may have moved this frame building to the site of the Emder House at 228 W. Wisconsin (24/31). He either enclosed the frame building or constructed a new three story, cream brick building. The hotel included sleeping rooms on the second and third floors and a saloon, offices, a dining room, and kitchen, games rooms, and sample rooms on the first floor. Emder later expanded his hotel rooms into the second floor of the adjacent Vandercook Building (238 W. Wisconsin, 24/32) which was constructed about 1855. A balcony at the second floor level connected the two buildings. In 1891, Emder sold the hotel to J.H. Wells, T.J. Wells, and R.N. McConochie. Jabez H. Wells managed the hotel until 1917 when James Fleming oversaw its operation. The hotel serves as the bus station prior to 1929 when the hotel closed (Butterfield 1880: 896; Wisconsin State Register 1862 [11/8; 3/1]; Democrat, 7/30/87; Register-Democrat 1/23/28, 10/14/1929, 10/17/1929; Jones 1914 [2]:593; Turner, A.J. 1903: 15; Harrison and Warner 1873; Sanborn-Perris Map Co. 1885, 1889, 1894, 1901, 1910, 1918, 1929; Columbia County Treasurer 1863- [1870-1930]; Rugen 1868; Hawes 1865; Chapin 1870; R.L. Polk & Co. 1893-94, 1915-16; 1917-18; 1929). |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Sanborn-Perris Maps. (B) Columbia County Treasurer 1863-. (C) City Directories. (D) Dave Eulberg (1993). Historic Portage, WI: Downtown & Waterfront Walking Tour, 1995. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |