Pittsburgh Plate Glass Enamel Plant
The Pittsburgh Plate Glass Enamel Plant is a four-story building in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, built in 1937 and represents a factory structure with distinctive Streamline Moderne features. The structure displays a brick exterior with rounded corners and a prominent glass tower at the northwest corner that marks the building.
The building was designed in 1937 by the architectural firm Eschweiler & Eschweiler and served as an enamel paint factory for Pittsburgh Plate Glass until 1976. After the original production ended, the building was later converted to office space and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
The plant takes its name from the Pittsburgh Plate Glass company that operated here and shaped the region. Visitors can still see the clean lines and smooth surfaces that reflect the factory aesthetic of the 1930s, showing how the architecture celebrated industry and progress.
The site is about one mile from downtown Milwaukee and easily accessible. Since the building now houses office and retail spaces, visits outside business hours may allow you to appreciate the exterior architecture.
The building features a distinctive glass tower at the northwest corner that most strongly reflects the Streamline Moderne design, giving it a ship-like or airplane-like profile. This curved corner detail is the defining characteristic that sets it apart from other industrial structures of its era.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
