Contact:Kara O’Keeffe Wisconsin Historical Society E-Mail: kara.okeeffe@wisconsinhistory.
Milwaukee, Wis. – The Wisconsin Historical Society has announced the listing of the Blommer Ice Cream Company in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, in the National Register of Historic Places. National Register designation provides access to certain benefits, including qualification for grants and for rehabilitation income tax credits, while it does not restrict private property owners in the use of their property.
The Blommer Ice Cream Company building was constructed in 1910 of white glazed brick, while the larger 1927 addition, designed by architect Verner H. Esser, was constructed of cream-colored glazed terra cotta, providing a clean, modern appearance. Through high-quality architectural treatment, the building was, in part, designed to serve as advertising for the company and to inspire consumer confidence. Clad in cream-colored terra cotta, the exterior design reflected the modern and sanitary facilities and production practices housed within.
The Blommer Ice Cream Company, a commercial producer and wholesaler of ice cream in Milwaukee in the early 20th century, epitomizes the evolution of ice cream from a summertime treat produced locally in small batches to a year-round commodity manufactured in highly specialized and mechanized facilities and shipped regionally. Conrad Blommer transformed a small Milwaukee retail ice cream and candy enterprise into one of the region’s largest producers and distributors of ice cream by the late 1920s, employing the most modern sanitation practices and technology in his factory.
The register is the official national list of historic properties in America deemed worthy of preservation and is maintained by the National Park Service in the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Wisconsin Historical Society administers the program within Wisconsin. It includes sites, buildings, structures, objects and districts that are significant in national, state or local history, architecture, archaeology, engineering or culture.
To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org.
About Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
