Wisconsin Gas Building, Milwaukee

The Wisconsin Gas Building, also known as the Milwaukee Gas Light Building, is a 20-story Art Deco landmark rising 250 feet over downtown Milwaukee. Completed in 1930 and designed by the local firm Eschweiler & Eschweiler, it was originally built as the headquarters for the Milwaukee Gas Light Company. Its distinctive stepped design, graduating from darker materials at the base to Milwaukee’s signature Cream City brick at the top, embodies classic Art Deco aesthetics. Copper spandrels, terracotta foliage details, and bronze sunburst motifs complete its ornate façade.

A Prohibition-era speakeasy once stood on the site but was cleared to make way for the building’s rapid one-year construction, powered by a 1,000-strong workforce. The structure even features heated sidewalks thanks to its basement extension-a thoughtful touch for Wisconsin winters.

In 1956, the building gained its most iconic feature: a 21-foot, four-ton weather beacon shaped like a natural gas flame. First lit to forecast weather using colored light codes, the flame was turned off during the 1973 energy crisis and re-lit in 1985. Since 2013, it has used an LED system capable of millions of colors, also supporting civic causes and local sports pride. Sailors on Lake Michigan have long used it as a visual aid.

The 1950s also brought major renovations, including the installation of an IBM 650 computer and significant changes to the lobby-though its green marble and bronze details still echo its original grandeur.

After Wisconsin Gas merged with Wisconsin Electric in the early 2000s to form We Energies, the building was sold to Paul Weise in 2002. Restoration efforts by Eppstein Uhen Architects aimed to preserve its historic style while modernizing its interior. Today, the building serves as commercial office space, with U.S. government departments among its tenants. Despite going into foreclosure in 2025, the building remains a defining piece of Milwaukee’s architectural heritage-complete with a flame that still flickers in the city’s memory.