Property Record
301 E MILWAUKEE ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Wisconsin Telephone Company |
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| Other Name: | |
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| Reference Number: | 87231 |
| Location (Address): | 301 E MILWAUKEE ST |
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| County: | Rock |
| City: | Janesville |
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| Year Built: | 1911 |
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| Additions: | 1947 1964 |
| Survey Date: | 19882020 |
| Historic Use: | telephone/telegraph building |
| Architectural Style: | Neoclassical/Beaux Arts |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | 2020 - The Wisconsin Telephone Company consists of three parts: the original 1911 building, a 1947 addition, and a 1964 addition. The 1911 building is a two-story Neoclassical Revival structure. It rests on a cut stone foundation, is clad in brick, and has a flat roof. Fenestration consists of replacement, fixed, multi-light, arch windows set in shallow recesses with stone sills and keystones along the building’s first story, and replacement, vinyl, one-over-one, double-hung sash, both paired and single, with stone sills and keystones along the second story. Additional decorative features include stone belt courses, brick quoins, and brick window surrounds with arched and flared sashes. Two decorative concrete panels display bells with brick surrounds and a secondary entrance on the side (west) elevation features a stone pediment and columns. Alterations include window replacements, a reconstructed cornice at the building’s roofline, and replacement of the original main entrance with a window. The building’s 1947 addition is a two-story, flat-roof structure attached to the east side of the original building. The front (south) facade has a recessed stone entrance with glazed sidelights and a transom in aluminum casing, which serves as the main building entry. This 1947 addition features decorative brick cladding with corbelling and window surrounds, as well as a grouping of ornamental stone panels along the front facade. All windows openings on the front facade and side (east) elevation have been infilled. The 1964 addition at the rear of the building is also clad in brick with a flat roof and infilled brick windows; its three-story roofline rises above the earlier building portions. The Wisconsin Telephone Company was founded in 1882 in Milwaukee and provided telephone service to 60 cities and towns across the state by the late 1880s. Janesville’s first telephone was installed in 1878 and both the Rock County Telephone Company and Wisconsin Telephone Company offered service within the city before they merged under the Wisconsin Telephone Company name in 1921. After World War II increasing service demands led the company to rehabilitate and expand offices across Wisconsin, including in Janesville. By the mid-1960s the company again outgrew its Janesville office and needed additional space for both personnel and equipment. A large rear addition was completed in 1964, at which time the company also renovated the interior configuration and finishes. |
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| Bibliographic References: | DuPre’, Mike. Century of Stories: A 100 Year Reflection of Janesville and Surrounding Communities. [Janesville, Wis.]: [Janesville Gazette], 2000. “Phone Co.’s $750,000 Addition Is in Use.” Janesville Daily Gazette, July 9, 1964. “Rock County Telephone Linemen.” Rock County Historical Society, 2019. https://rchs.us/shop/historic-photos/factories-industry/rock-county-telephone-company-linemen/. “Telephone Co. Plans Addition.” Janesville Daily Gazette, March 11, 1947. “Wisconsin Bell, Inc. History.” Funding Universe. Accessed July 23, 2020. http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/wisconsin-bell-inc-history/. “Wisconsin Telephone Co. to Install Modern Plant.” Janesville Daily Gazette, December 31, 1910. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |