Badger State Shoe Company building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Badger State Shoe Company
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| Location | 123 N. Blount St. Madison, Wisconsin |
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| Built | 1910 |
| Architect | Ferdinand Kronenberg |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000232 |
| Added to NRHP | April 11, 1989 |
The Badger State Shoe Company building is an old shoe factory in Madison, Wisconsin. It has six stories and was built in 1910. This building looks like a classic style and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This means it's an important historical place.
Contents
Building a City: Madison's Early Industry
Madison was chosen to be Wisconsin's capital city. Because of this, it had more "white-collar" jobs, like government and university work. This was different from many other cities nearby that grew because of factories.
After the American Civil War ended, Madison had only a few small factories. Some leaders wanted to bring in bigger industries. However, others worried that factories would make the city dirty.
Growth was slow in the late 1800s. But after 1900, more factories started to appear. The Badger State Shoe Company was one of these new businesses.
How Shoes Were Made: From Shops to Factories
In the 1800s, shoemaking changed a lot. It went from small local shops to large factories. These factories used machines and many workers to make shoes faster.
Cities near Lake Michigan had many leather tanneries. This meant there was a good supply of leather for shoes. Plus, good transportation helped shoe factories grow in these areas.
The Badger Shoe Company first started in Milwaukee in 1893. Its leaders were Albert and Henry L. Atkins. In 1900, they moved their factory to South Madison. They hoped this would help them save money.
After a few years, they opened another factory on Wilson Street. In 1909, they decided to put all their operations into one new building.
Choosing a Spot: The Factory's Location
The company picked a spot on Blount Street for their new factory. This area used to be a marshy wetland. In the 1890s, people started filling in the land. They built streets using cinder-fill.
This area had both homes and businesses. The nearby train tracks were very helpful. They made it easy to transport materials and finished shoes.
Designing the Factory: A Classic Look
Badger Shoe hired Ferdinand Kronenberg to design their new factory. Kronenberg was a German-born architect. He had designed homes and the Cardinal Hotel in Madison.
For the shoe factory, he designed a six-story building. It was covered in Chicago brick. The design was simple but still looked fancy for a factory.
The building had many windows in rows. The corners had solid brick, making them look like strong columns. Lines of brick below the third and sixth-floor windows added to this classic look. The top of the building had a decorative iron trim. This also looked like old classical buildings.
Inside the Factory: Modern for Its Time
Inside, the factory had a strong wooden frame. Large wooden posts held up wooden beams. These beams supported thick pine floors, which were covered with maple wood.
The main office entrance was at the front. It led up to offices on the second floor. Most of the building was used for making shoes.
The factory was very modern for its time. It had lots of natural light from the many windows. It was also well-ventilated, meaning fresh air could move through. It even had an automatic sprinkler system for safety.
Making Shoes: Production and Changes
The building cost $40,000 to build. The factory started making shoes in the spring of 1910. About 250 people worked there.
Soon, they were making 2,000 pairs of shoes every day! They made women's and children's shoes. These were sold to a large company in Chicago.
Sales grew a lot during World War I. In 1917, Edward C. Wolfram bought the factory. He was a businessman from Watertown, Wisconsin.
In the 1920s, shoe materials started to change. People began using more man-made materials instead of leather. Also, more shoes were brought in from other countries. Making shoes became less profitable.
After the Great Depression started, Badger Shoe stopped making shoes in 1930. All of Wolfram's businesses were closed down.
New Uses for an Old Building
After the shoe factory closed, the building was used for other things. Crescent Electric bought it and used it as a warehouse. Later, an office supply company called Rowley-Schlimgen owned it.
At some point, many of the windows were covered with bricks. You can see this in old photos of the building.
In 1989, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was special because it was one of the few mid-sized factories from that time left in Madison. Its classic style was also unusual for a factory. The Madison Landmarks Commission also named it a landmark in 1989.
More recently, a company restored the windows. They turned the old factory into apartments called Das Kronenberg Apartments.
Images for kids
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The Badger State Shoe Company building.
