Property Record
100 RIVER ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | George A. Whiting Paper Company Complex |
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| Other Name: | |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 61052 |
| Location (Address): | 100 RIVER ST |
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| County: | Winnebago |
| City: | Menasha |
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| Year Built: | 1888 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 20092019 |
| Historic Use: | mill |
| Architectural Style: | Astylistic Utilitarian Building |
| Structural System: | Wood Beam |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | Y |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | #590. Combination multi-gable and flat. The George A. Whiting Paper Company Plant is located within Menasha's principal industrial district. Situated along the government canal, the plant is a three story brick industrial building with an irregular plan configuration. The multi-gable and flat roofs are covered with asphalt, and the foundations are random stone. 2009--Last surveyed in 1984. Difficult to reconcile all survey photos with extant buildings due to lack of full access to the property. See also AHI#61049, 61047, 61046, 61051. Fox River Valley Industrial Complex The George Whiting Paper Company was established in 1881 by George Whiting and his partner William Gilbert. Whiting purchased Gilbert’s interest in the company five years later. In 1888, the paper mill exploded, and the ensuing fire killed fourteen bystanders and razed the mill. Whiting rebuilt the mill the same year at the same location at the present 100 River Street in Menasha. A large brick expansion to the east was completed in 1910. The complex also includes a prominent smokestack, a small one-story brick office building, and a series of concrete additions to the two main brick mill buildings, all of which were constructed by at least 1926. The T-shaped two-story brick mill remained small through most of its history and specialized in producing fine arts papers and scrapbook paper during the twentieth century. It was one of the few small independent paper manufacturers in the country during the post-war period. The mill closed in 2016 and is presently vacant. |
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| Bibliographic References: | . |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |