click zoom to display a high-res image
Property Location
Property Features
HABS WI-357. Owners: Town of Lake 1937 - c.1953 , City of Milwaukee 1953 to present.
WPA Project: Town of Lake and William Darby, Engineer.
Built as a combination town hall and water tower, this massive structure is one of the area's most unusual and innovative public-works projects. The decision to combine two vital services of municipal government under one roof was seen in the late 1930s as a shrewd austerity measure during the Great Depression. The money-saving decision also ensured that Lake's town hall would rank among the most monumental and imposing government structures in Wisconsin.
The nine-story, Moderne building consists of an octagonal tower rising from a two-story, flat-roofed office block. The tower shaft encloses a steel structure supporting a one-million-gallon water tank, designed to stabilize the pressure in the South Side’s water mains. The building was one of the first major structures in the Milwaukee metropolitan area to feature exposed poured concrete exterior walls. The building's largely intact interior features ornamental plasterwork and iron railings, executed in an Art Deco-influenced style. Square terracotta tiles are employed extensively for wainscoting.
The base of the tower originally housed offices for the municipal government of the former Town of Lake. The City of Milwaukee annexed the town in the 1950s, and today various Milwaukee social service departments occupy these offices. The water tower remains part of the city's water distribution system.
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
Architecture & History Inventory
The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.
Questions?
Wondering about if your property is eligible or notice some information on this property needs to be updated, reach out today!
Email UsAttribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
Access Property Records
Some properties have more materials (correspondence, clippings, historical information, etc.) not in the digital record. If a 'Site File' exists, it's noted in the 'Additional Comments' field. Contact us for an appointment to view these materials.
175 VALLEY VIEW DR
64636
Located in Fontana On Geneva Lake, Walworth County
3000 N LINCOLN MEMORIAL DR/LINWOOD AVE
119266
Located in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County
E SIDE OF 6TH ST BETWEEN CEDAR ST AND MAIN ST
15875
Located in Hilbert, Calumet County
