On a triangular lot at the intersection of West Center Street and West Fond du Lac Avenue stands the Kilbourn State Bank building, sometimes referred to as the North Milwaukee State Bank building or simply ‘the poster building.’
This building’s history is rich, containing fossils that are around 340 million years old and has a claim to being the home of Wisconsin’s first Black-owned and operated bank.
Raymond Wiggers, architectural geologist and author of Milwaukee in Stone and Clay, joined Lake Effect's Sam Woods to discuss the building's hidden history for the latest episode of What Milwaukee is Made Of.
‘Wherever you touch, you’ll be touching ancient life’
The Kilbourn State Bank building contains imposing columns made of Indiana limestone, sometimes referred to as Bedford limestone. The stone used to make these columns dates back to roughly 340 million years ago.
The stone is quarried in southern Indiana, which at the time of this stone’s formation was near the equator. The stone formed at the bottom of a shallow sea in a tropical area.
Wiggers says evidence of sea life from the time is still encased in this stone, if you look closely.
“If you take a hand lens and [look closely] you can sometimes see entire fossils,” Wiggers says. “Most of the stuff you’re looking at that glues everything together is actually broken up shell.”
As a building material, the presence of these fossils makes the stone a tough, but malleable, option. But for everyday archaeologists, it represents a time capsule of life before dinosaurs.
“Wherever you touch, you’ll be touching ancient life,” Wiggers says. “It’s about the most fossiliferous, or fossil-rich stone, you can find in Milwaukee or anywhere else in America for that matter.”
Congealed iron leaves historical secrets within bricks
While the ancient sea life encased within the building’s columns may grab headlines, most of the building is made of a type of brick that has its own hidden secrets.
Though Wiggers was unable to find documentation about the brick’s origins, he says it is likely St. Louis brick. This brick is found all over Milwaukee, including in the Pabst Theater and Oneida Street Station.
Wiggers says the dark maroon flecks within the brick give the brick a unique texture. While the brick can have different colors across buildings, these flecks point to St. Louis brick.
“I haven’t found any records that confirm that, but it’s a dead ringer for it,” Wiggers explains.
These flecks are actually iron impurities that were mixed in with the clay. When the clay was heated in the kiln, these tiny pieces of iron migrated to the surface and congealed, giving the brick its unique look.
“It creates this wonderful spotted pattern within the brick, almost like leopard spots,” Wiggers says.
‘A temple of capitalism’
The architecture of the Kilbourn State Bank reflects its history as a financial institution. Originally built in 1905, the building was redesigned in 1928 in the Neoclassical style. This had a formal, Roman look you often see in government buildings featuring imposing columns and sturdy stone material.
Wiggers says this style was often used by financial and government institutions in the early 1900s to signify security and stability. The idea was to communicate that the building’s owner has invested in the building and intends to stay long-term.
“It tended to imply that it was a temple of commerce, or a temple of capitalism,” Wiggers says. “It’s a very stable-looking architectural style.”
The Kilbourn State Bank used the building from 1928 to 1971, before giving way to the North Milwaukee State Bank. The North Milwaukee State Bank stayed in the building through the 1970s before moving locations and eventually closing in 2016.
According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, North Milwaukee State Bank was the first Black-owned and operated bank in Wisconsin. The building was recently occupied by BRIC and used as a coworking and event space.
