Property Record
1001 S 2ND ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Dornfeld-Kunert Co. |
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| Other Name: | City of Waterown Street Department |
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| Reference Number: | 74771 |
| Location (Address): | 1001 S 2ND ST |
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| County: | Jefferson |
| City: | Watertown |
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| Year Built: | 1904 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1986 |
| Historic Use: | industrial building |
| Architectural Style: | Astylistic Utilitarian Building |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Cream Brick |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. This building was the location of the E. Kunert Manufacturing Company, later known as the Dornfeld-Kunert Company, and later was the home of the Otto Biefeld Company. The first facility on this site was the old Bennett Threshing Machine Company, a nineteenth century agricultural products manufacturer with a factory building close to the river. By 1890, though, the E. Kunert Manufacturing Company was in their old building. E. Kunert began as a machine shop operated by Ernest and Frank Kunert. They came from Germany with their family in 1851 and began their business in 1875. After taking over the Bennett factory, they began construction on part of this factory and by 1915 had much of this substantial building erected. Eventually the old Bennett Factory was dmeolished. The Kunert Company specialized in high and low steel truss bridges and in manufacturing brewer's equipment, boilers, and engines. The company failed, perhaps because of the Great Depression, and in 1938, Otto Biefeld took over this facility. This was the culmination of the Otto Biefeld Company's growth in a similar machine shop related industry. Otto Biefeld remained here until past mid-century. Today the building is used by the City of Watertown in its street department program. This factory is significant for local history because it is the only extant factory building housing the Kunert Manufacturing Company or Dornfeld-Kunert Company, an important metal projects company in Watertown. The Kunert company and the Biefeld company had similar histories, but after it became a larger concern, Kunert began specializing in truss bridge construction. Metal bridge construction has become increasingly historically significant as more information on the importance of these bridges has been discovered. Because the Biefeld Company's first and second locations still exist, this location is probably not as significant as their original locations. Particularly their second location, in the old Misegades building, is more significant since it was there that the company experienced its most formative growth. This building, although plain, has maintained a fairly high level of integrity and because of its association with the Kunert company, it is significant for local history. Constructed in 1904 by the Huenefeld Constructing Company for the Dornfeld-Kunert Company, the main building located on the north end of the structure is a cream brick structure divided vertically at regular intervals by applied brick pilasters with corbelled brick capitals. Reportedly of modern steel construction with brick curtain walls and steel truss roof, this utilitarian industrial building built as a boiler shop also features rectangular multi-paned windows. A two-story cream brick building added between 1926 and 1937 is located at the south end of this building. One of the few extant historic industrial buildings in the city of Watertown, the Kunert-Dornfeld building has retained much of its integrity and architectural character. Although historically significant, this building is not architecturally significant because other industrial buildings with more architectural style and character remain such as the Van Camp Plant at 500 Milford (58/29), the Biefeld building at 118 No. Water and the Beals-Torrey Shoe Co. at 100 Milwaukee (55-33). |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Building inscription - cornerstone. (B) Sanborn-Perris Insurance Map, 1926, 1937. (C) C.W. Butterfield, The History of Jefferson County, Wisconsin, Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879, p. 615. (D) "Kunert Company Made Steel Bridges," Watertown Daily Times Centennial Issue, June 26, 1954, n.p. (E) "Biefeld Brothers, Otto and Richard, Started Steel Fabricating Company," Watertown Daily Teimes Centennial Isue, June 26, 1954, n.p. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |