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Property Location
Property Features
Massive stone water works building is in a simplified Art Moderne style.
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) erected many buildings in the Milwaukee area during the 1930s, but none is more outstanding than this huge water filtration plant. It is a benchmark in the history of Milwaukee civil engineering and a fine example of an architectural style that was often associated with WPA projects and the era of the Great Depression.
The limestone-clad building belies its utilitarian but vital role of purifying Lake Michigan water for the city. Considerable attention was directed towards embellishing the exterior of the water plant partly because of its highly visible location on public parkland along Milwaukee's lakefront.
The architectural focal point of the symmetrically planned building is a massive central clock tower associated with public and municipal projects. Both the tower and its projecting vertical pilasters suggest a cathedral-like character.
Construction of the plant came about when existing water purification facilities could barely keep up with demand. Here, water from Lake Michigan is purified in long, deep pools that are lined with special filtration materials. A recent overhaul of the facility improved chemical treatment and monitoring equipment.
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
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1701 N LINCOLN MEMORIAL DR
100426
Located in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County
