Property Record
1337 S 16TH ST (1337 S Cesar Chavez Dr)
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Wisconsin State Bank of Milwaukee |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | Wisconsin Marine Bank |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 98146 |
| Location (Address): | 1337 S 16TH ST (1337 S Cesar Chavez Dr) |
|---|---|
| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
| Range: | |
| Direction: | |
| Section: | |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1921 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | 1957 1963 1971 |
| Survey Date: | 19852015 |
| Historic Use: | bank/financial institution |
| Architectural Style: | Neoclassical/Beaux Arts |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Stone - Unspecified |
| Architect: | Robert L. Reisinger & Co (1921 builder); Frederic Stanton (1957 addition architect); Bentley Construction (1957 addition builder); Charles Haeuser (1963 addition architect) |
| Other Buildings On Site: | N |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| 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. The original block of this bank was built in 1921 as the Wisconsin State Bank of Milwaukee. The building received additions in 1957 and 1963. Drive-up windows were added in 1957 and replaced with drive-thorough lanes in 1971. Marine Bank in 1962 acquired the bank and it became Wisconsin Marine Bank. 2015- "This two-story, Neoclassical-style bank building is faced with limestone and exhibits at least three phases of construction. The original (1921) block is at the northwest corner of W. Greenfield Avenue and S. Cesar Chavez Drive with the main entrance facing east. That entrance is recessed within a centered opening that is topped with an elaborate pediment consisting of a carved frieze. Four fluted pilasters with carved capitals flank the entrance and a pair of round-arch openings outfitted with replacement plate-glass windows. The openings are recessed and feature a carved frieze between the two levels. A plain parapet underscored with a simple cornice projects slightly over the east and south facades. The south facade displays three tall, round-arch window openings and an equally sized rectangular example. Fluted pilasters with capitals divide the round-arch openings. Two block additions are attached to the rear (west) elevation. They carry the same banding, cornice and projecting parapet as the original block; however, they are pierced by regularly placed rectangular window openings on both levels. Fenestration throughout consists generally of replacement plate-glass windows framed with metal. An austere, one-story office block is attached to the north elevation and four round-arch canopies at the rear protect four drive-through lanes. Meanwhile, the interior of the original block, which no longer operates as a bank, has been completely renovated with modern materials and holds no sense of its original function or appearance. The original block of this bank was built in 1921 as the Wisconsin State Bank of Milwaukee. The building has received several additions with a rear (west) block addition in 1957 that also included drive-up windows (since modified in 1971 with the current drive-through lanes). Marine Bank in 1962 acquired the bank and it became Wisconsin Marine Bank, which hired in 1963 architect Charles Haeuser to design a remodel of the second floor and in 1968 the firm of Losch & Haeuser designed an addition." - "W. Greenfield Ave, S 35th St (west) to S. Cesar Chavez Dr (east)", WISDot #2230-00-04, Prepared by Heritage Research, Ltd. (Faltinson), (2015). |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: | City Directories and Sanborn Maps; Building permits. Captioned Photo (RE: Wisconsin State Bank), Milwaukee Journal, 14 March 1957, Part 2, Page 19 “OK Marine, Wis. State Bank Link,” Milwaukee Sentinel, 3 October 1961, Part 1, Page 1 “Wis. State Bank Changing Name,” Milwaukee Sentinel, 29 March 1962, Part 2, Page 7. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |