Milwaukee #12: Water Street Building

1245 North Water Street

1245 North Water Street in November 2000

Built in 1890 as a double-storefront, this Victorian brick building at has been home to a variety of businesses over the years, including a "hotel" of questionable repute during the Mayor Rose “Anything Goes” era of the early 20th century, a brush factory and a restaurant. From 1958 to 1969, the building served as the headquarters for the Wm. K. Walthers manufacturer and distributor of model railroading products. Walthers makes a model of this building as it appeared at this time. In 1969, it was sold to Milwaukee's Yellow Cab Company and rented to an experimental theater company sponsored by the the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee called "Theatre X." It has since been remodeled, with a new penthouse on the roof. The ground floor now houses a bar. At the time of this photo, in 2000, the bar was the London Bridge Pub, which closed shortly thereafter. Later it became a bar called The Corner.

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