National Register of Historic Places

North Third Street Historic District

Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Listed
August 1, 1984
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
84003733

About this property

The North Third Street Historic District is a somewhat intact business district on the near north side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a wide range of surviving buildings dating back to 1854. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and on the State Register of Historic Places in 1989. The Hardt block at 1739-1745 N. 3rd Street is a 2-story brick commercial block built in 1854. The first occupant was baker Adam Englehardt, who stayed there until 1869. The building's design is Romanesque Revival, the style whose hallmark is the round arches at the window-tops. Bricks form pilasters, the corbelled cornice, and the pediment at top center. This is the oldest surviving building in the district. The house at 1948 N. 3rd Street was built in 1868 - a 2-story frame house with the windows and doors topped by curved hood moulds drawn from Italianate style. The George Geiger building at 1751 N. 3rd Street was built in 1882 for Geiger's grocery business. It was designed by Henry Messmer, with simple Italianate styling. The Deffner building at 2034-2036 N. 3rd Street was built in 1885, a 2-story Victorian Italianate building with a pressed metal cornice. John C. Deffner was Bavarian immigrant harness-maker who also ran a horse furnishings store out of this building. The building at 1806-1808 N. 3rd Street is a 3-story brick structure built in 1890, with bay windows and an elaborate cornice and corner finials drawn from German Renaissance Revival style. The Mayer and Durner building at 2000-2006 N. 3rd Street was built in 1891. It was designed by German immigrant Henry Messmer, who drew the bay window from Queen Anne style, the hood moulds over the windows and the pediment from Italianate style, and the upward-pointing finials from Gothic Revival. Herman Mayer's crockery store was the first occupant, until 1906. Then Adolph Haise ran a drug store there until 1921. The Hausmann building at 1748-1750 N. 3rd Street is a 3-story building built in 1891 for Hannah and Julius Hausmann's dry goods store. The building was designed by H.C. Koch in a style which combined several styles. The round-arched door is Richardsonian Romanesque. The bay windows and corner turret are Queen Anne. The Frederick Ketter Warehouse at 325 W. Vine Street is a Romanesque Revival brick structure built in 1895. It probably served as a grocery warehouse for Ketter. The Edward Schuster & Company Department Store at 2153 N. 3rd Street is a 4-story department store designed by Kirchhoff & Rose in Chicago Commercial style and built in 1907. Hallmarks of the style are the bands of windows and the large amount of window space. In 1961 Schuster merged with Gimbel Brothers.

Location

Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
43.06000, -87.91445

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about North Third Street Historic District

This page lists North Third Street Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your North Third Street Historic District report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Public School No. 27
Industrial
0.1 mi
Brewers Hill Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Industrial
0.2 mi
North First Street Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Chief Lippert Fire Station
Industrial
0.3 mi
Jones-Hill House
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was North Third Street Historic District listed on the National Register?

North Third Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 1984.

What type of historic resource is North Third Street Historic District?

North Third Street Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for North Third Street Historic District?

The period of significance for North Third Street Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near North Third Street Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near North Third Street Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Milwaukee County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Milwaukee County.

Explore MilwaukeeCounty ›

More historic places in Wisconsin

Browse all historic places in Wisconsin.

View Wisconsinhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Wisconsin history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Wisconsinhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near North Third Street Historic District will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report