03 Mar a possible bld. 51 museum gallery and studio in la crosse, wisc.
March 3, 2026
in Bldg. 51, Events & Announcements, Featured Posts, Miscellaneous, Travel, Uncategorized
ideal studio and gallery space for the bldg. 51 museum archive and artifact collection.
the george a. hauswirth filling station is an example of vernacular architecture, constructed around 1930 in the typical house-and-canopy style found in early gas stations.
located at 1 131 south 3rd street, la crosse, wisc., the station features brick walls on a concrete foundation and a hipped roof with asphalt shingles and flared eaves. the canopy, still intact with its beadboard ceiling and soffits lined with single-bulb fixtures, is supported by two brick posts with concrete accents.
the building’s front (southwest) façade includes a large picture window and a half-glazed wood door, both topped with multi-light transoms. on the southeast side, there is a five-panel wood door and a replacement one-over-one window. a concrete belt course acts as a windowsill wrapping the structure.
extending from the northwest elevation is a small brick connector, which features a large picture window that leads to a two-bay garage. built around 1945, this garage — with corrugated metal walls and an arched roof — was likely a prefabricated model typical of those produced by companies like trachte brothers of madison or steel king of milwaukee, widely used for gas stations starting in the 1920s. the garage’s west-facing façade contains two sets of wooden double doors.
historical records show george hauswirth built the station and the adjacent residence between 1928 and 1930, operating the business through the 1930s. the garage addition appears on maps from 1949.
