The Milwaukee Fire Department High Pressure Pumping Station, at 2011 South 1st Street in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
, was built in 1931. It has also been known as the Kinnickinnic River Pumping Station. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1981
[ and the building was demolished in 2018.
]
History
The building was built to replace the function of Milwaukee Fire Department
The Milwaukee Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The department is responsible for an area of with a population of 594,833. It is the largest fire department in the Stat ...
Fireboat No. 17 in the area around the pumping station, which was an area of heavy industry and where streets, railway tracks, bridges and the Kinnickinnic River Kinnickinnic River may refer to one of two rivers in the U.S. state of Wisconsin:
* Kinnickinnic River (Milwaukee River tributary) in southeastern Wisconsin
* Kinnickinnic River (St. Croix River tributary)
The Kinnickinnic River, called the K ...
crossed multiple times. It provided assurance that high pressure water could be supplied to fight fires in the area, and required a six-man crew rather than the 16-man crew required to man the fireboat. The station's 600 h.p. Allis-Chalmers
Allis-Chalmers was a U.S. manufacturer of machinery for various industries. Its business lines included agricultural equipment, construction equipment, power generation and power transmission equipment, and machinery for use in industrial setti ...
three-stage centrifugal M-i type pumps delivered water at pressures on the order of 475 pounds per square inch through special mains 12 to 20 inches in diameter, as compared to a conventional city water system which delivers no more than 80 pounds per square inch and then requires pumps on fire trucks to shoot the water high onto buildings. This was the only such station built in Milwaukee.[ With ]
As the city water system improved and the Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
weakened industry in the area, the need for the special station decreased and it was closed in 1950.
Demolishment
Horny Goat Brewing Company had operated a brewpub in the building from 2009 until 2015 when they listed the property for sale. Michels Corporation acquired the site for $3.6 million in April 2017. Michels applied to demolish the building one year later in April 2018. The company and City of Milwaukee officials announced a $100 million Harbor District development for the six-acre site.
See also
*Milwaukee Fire Department
The Milwaukee Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The department is responsible for an area of with a population of 594,833. It is the largest fire department in the Stat ...
*List of fire department specialty facilities {{Short description, none
This is a list of specialty facilities of fire departments, besides fire stations, and not including fire lookout towers. Specialty functions include:
*supporting separate water systems for firefighting, distinct from the ...
References
{{National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Gothic Revival architecture in Wisconsin
Buildings and structures completed in 1931
Pumping stations