MILWAUKEE – The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the 100 East Building in the National Register of Historic Places on January 16, 2024. The building was originally constructed in 1989 for offices in downtown Milwaukee, Milwaukee County.

The 100 East Building was designed in Post-Modern style, which was popular in the late 1970s-1980s. The style centered around the concepts of contextualism, allusionism and ornamentalism at a time when architects sought to return to traditional complexities of design that Modernist buildings no longer displayed. The Charlotte-based architectural firm Clark, Tribble, Harris, and Li designed the building, which was completed in 1989 in the heart of downtown Milwaukee.

The design of 100 East draws on German Renaissance architectural elements, which was commonly found throughout the city at the turn of the 20th century. The Pabst skyscraper, formerly located on the site of 100 East, distinctively displayed German Renaissance Revival architecture with a cupola, curved gable ends, rusticated use of stone, and grand corbelled arches. City Hall stands today as a reminder of the prevalent style. 

100 East is a reminder of Milwaukee’s ethnic heritage and exhibits character-defining features with exaggerated stylistic references. They include an emphasis of verticality through alternating spandrel panels and rose-tinted glass, large arched openings, pyramidal roof, large-scale concrete finials, cupola with spire, flared gable-ends, and limestone cladding. The exaggerated expression continues in the interior. The lobby is highlighted by Italian and Spanish marble, polished brass, oversized barrel arches, and paneled column capitals. The upper floors feature enlarged, round light fixtures; brass elevator doors, button plates, and chandeliers; wood paneling, full length doors, and marble or carpet floors with a border.  

Additional information for 100 East is available at: https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR2809

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: https://wisconsinhistory.org/hp/register/

About the 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.