Property Record
109 W EDGEWATER
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | E. A. Wienke; Whitney Motors Company |
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| Other Name: | Hill Ford Mercury |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 41042 |
| Location (Address): | 109 W EDGEWATER |
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| County: | Columbia |
| City: | Portage |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1917 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1992 |
| Historic Use: | automobile showroom |
| Architectural Style: | Commercial Vernacular |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | 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: | Hill Ford Mercury Company at the intersection of W. Wisconsin and W. Edgewater began as the Loomis and Weinke Motor Sales Company garage in 1917 or 1918. Rodney C. Loomis, president, and Ernest A. Weinke ran the operation. The company first replaced the furniture store of Schultz and Company with a garage constructed of tile supported with iron columns about 1917 or 1918. This building is the north portion of the current dealership. After Nash dealer E. A. Weinke bought out his partner, he opened a new automobile showroom and service department in 1924. The two story, tile and steel truss addition sits at the intersection of W. Wisconsin and W. Edgewater in front of the earlier garage (109 W. Edgewater, 24/19). A brick warehouse constructed between 1901 and 1910 continues to stand at the rear of these attached buildings. The E. A. Weinke dealership became the Whitney Motor Company Ford-Mercury dealership by 1937 (Register Democrat 2/19/24; Sanborn-Perris Map Co. 1910; 1918; 1929; Columbia Co. Treasurer 1763 [1918-30]; Farrell 1917; R. L. Polk & Co. 1919-20; 1921; 1024-25; 1927-28; Smith Baumann Directory Co. 1929; Commonwealth Telephone Co. 1937; 1948; Johnson Printing Co. 1955). |
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| Bibliographic References: | Sanborn Perris Map Co. 1929: two gwrages, warehouse, second garage which are brick faced tile, concrete floors and steel truss roof 1918: 1 garage along Wisconsin and warehouse 1910: Department store on the site By 1918, the present garage was standing at Wisconsin Street and by 1929 the automobile showroom on Edgewater was present. Columbia Co. Treasurer 1863 1928-1930: E. A. Weinke 1925: e. A. Weinke, significant rise in bldg. value 43,000 to 5,000 1924: Loomis and Weinke 1918: Loomis and Weinke no longer listed It appears that the main complex was completed in 1924. The rear garwage was standing before that. The showroom replace Schultz and Co. furniture store Directories 1955: (105-109) Whitney Motor Co. (Johnson Printing Co.) 1948: (109) Whitney Motor Co. (Commonwealth Telephone Co.) 1937: (109 Canal) E. A. Weinke Motor Sales (Commonwealth Telephone Co.) 1929: (109) Canal) E. A. Weoinke Motor Sales (Smith-Baumann Directory Co.) 1927-28, 1924-25: Ernest A. Weinke, garage (R. L. Polk & Co. & Co.) 1924-25: Loomis Motor Co. Rodney C. Loomis, president. 1921, 1919-1920: Loomis & Weinke Motor Sales Co., R. C. Loomis and E. A. Weinke, garage. 1917 (109 Canal): Harvey Dennis (Farrell) |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |