Friday, November 3, 2023

MSOE E-Building

1001 North Milwaukee Street

MSOE E-Building in 1969
MSOE E-Building in 1969

Eventually known as the Milwaukee School of Engineering's E-Building, this was originally Milwaukee’s second Presbyterian church, and was one of the very few examples of pre-Civil War Gothic Revival architecture in Milwaukee.

MSOE E-Building in 1969
MSOE E-Building in 1969

This cream city church was originally built for the North Presbyterian congregation in 1854.

MSOE E-Building in 1969
MSOE E-Building in 1969

The North Presbyterian congregation merged with First Presbyterian to form Immanuel in 1870, and this church was purchased by Welsh Calvinistic for the Welsh Presbyterian church in 1871 and the cast iron cresting was removed from the tower.

MSOE E-Building in 1969
MSOE E-Building in 1969

In 1891 the church was raised several feet by architect Charles F. Ringer, and in 1908 the entry was remodeled by architects Ferry & Clas.

MSOE E-Building in 1969
MSOE E-Building in 1969

The Milwaukee School of Engineering bought the church for use as a bookstore in 1954 and also used it as an auditorium.

MSOE E-Building in 1969
MSOE E-Building in 1969

The Milwaukee School of Engineering's Society of Model Engineers model railroad club also built their first HO-scale layout in the basement shortly after the organization was founded in 1965.

MSOE E-Building in 1969
MSOE E-Building in 1969

The E-Building was demolished in 1988. It was the last example of Ante-Bellum Gothic Revival architecture in downtown Milwaukee. The site remains a parking lot to this day.

Interior of the MSOE E-Building in 1966
Interior of the MSOE E-Building in 1966

These photographs are from the Society of Model Engineers photo albums and show the E-Building in 1966 and 1969 during TrainTime, the organization's annual model train show.

For more about the model train layout that was in the basement, click on the following links.

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