milwaukee over the weekend: facades, signage and a unique look at sill plate joinery exposed

visiting milwaukee over the weekend was brief, but productive nonetheless. in addition to visiting familiar haunts, i decided to take some time to photograph the vibrantly colored 19th century masonry, or "cream city" brick structures. these containing upper facade commercial false fronts, or "boomtown" cornices with striking stamped tin or cut stone name plaques (often accompanied by the date the building was constructed).

you don't find an abundance of chicago structures exhibiting this type of facade, so it was refreshing to be surrounded by so many buildings exhibiting these distinctive architectural characteristics. since time was limited, i captured ones that i found most appealing as i wandered briefly around the downtown area of milwaukee.

my next stop was in the third ward district, where i visited antique stores and grabbed aged cheddar at the public market. while passing through, i pulled over and photographed this limestone plaque with deeply incised lettering. i'm most drawn to the nicely aged and grimy surface patina, a byproduct of prolonged exposure to the city's airborne pollutants. they have a very distinctive and visually striking look. the wording ("engine-house") is certainly a bonus as well.

shortly before heading onto the freeway, i came across this charming little wood-frame victorian gothic cottage. i was immediately drawn to the  exposed sill plates with mortise and tenon joinery found at the corners of the house. thus far, i have only seen sill plate placement when a house is undergoing demolition. to see these interlocking beams supporting an extant house that is actually being preserved (undergoing rehabilitation) was immensely gratifying. the beams contain the typical mortise and tenon joinery i see time and again in wood-framed residences using the "chicago method" balloon frame. the solid old growth white or yellow pine beams appeared structurally sound with no evident signs of rot or splintering. a few "spikes" or cut, wrought iron nails were found in and around the joined members.

i took several photographs of the house where the framing materials were exposed. discovering that house in its current state on my way out was a perfect conclusion to my trip. i could not wait to get home and edit images of the "boomtown" facades, and carefully analyze the sill plates against the ones i've documented in the chicago wood-framed houses (shortly before they are tragically smashed into oblivion).