Preservation Racine

Endangered Buildings of Racine

There are historic buildings around any city that may not be under imminent threat of razing, but which have uncertain futures for a variety of reasons—poor condition, vacancy, for sale with no buyers, no clear future use. This page is a round-up of some such buildings in Racine which have been highlighted by our Historian, Debbie Yale, in past newsletters.

Slovak Evangelical Lutheran Church (1912)

1848 Howe Street

A wooden church with fading, white paint. Four boarded-up windows are along the side. Green shingle roof. Square tower at entrance with pyramid roof topped by a cross. The whole building sits on a high basement made of textured concrete blocks.

—Scott Leonard, April 2026

This is a small, wood-frame church of simple design that would not be out of place in a small town. A century ago, it was the anchor of a Protestant Slovak community in the neighborhood. It changed hands throughout the 20th century, and we believe it has been vacant since at least 1999. It has been on the market since sometime in 2025.

For more, see: Winter 2025 newsletter, Volume 41, pages 2-3

  • National Register landmark or district: No
  • Pre-2006 Racine local landmark: No
  • Current Racine local landmark: No

Dania Hall (1905)

1019 State Street

A red-brick, three story Neoclassical building, with street-facing attic. Three large arches face the street on the ground floor, the center one being the entrance and the side two being windows. Three sets of double-windows are on the second and third floors.

—Scott Leonard, April 2026

This is a three-story, Beaux Arts/Neoclassical, red-brick building with front-end gable. Dania Hall was the beating heart of the Danish neighborhood that centered on State Street. When it was built, one-quarter of Racine’s population was Danish-American. It was last used as a restaurant until 2015 and currently is in a state of limbo—not on the market, no clear future use.

For more, see: Winter 2021 newsletter, Volume 25, pages 7-8 

  • National Register landmark or district: No
  • Pre-2006 Racine local landmark: No
  • Current Racine local landmark: No

Pabst Saloon (ca 1901)

1300 16th Street

A small corner tavern, Gothic style, in cream brick. The ground floor has arched windows and a corner entrance behind a brick pier. The top of the second floor has a crenellated roof line. Above the corner is a square tower, each side with a triple set of small, arched windows.

—Scott Leonard, April 2026

Also known as the Pabst Beer Castle. This Gothic Revival, cream brick “tied house” has dramatic crenellations along the roof line and a square tower. The developer of the neighboring AJAX Apartments bought the Pabst Saloon and used it as a construction management office around 2020. Plans to repurpose the saloon were announced, but today it appears to be unoccupied.

For more, see: Winter 2020 newsletter, Volume 21, pages 6-7

  • National Register landmark or district: No
  • Pre-2006 Racine local landmark: Yes
  • Current Racine local landmark: No

Winslow Elementary School (1855, 1897)

1325 Park Avenue

A two-story school building, cream brick, with prominent three-story entrance pavilion and shallow, two-story curved window bays. The attic floor has dormers and chimneys.

—Scott Leonard, April 2026

An Italianate, cream brick school was built on the eastern (13th Street) side of the site in 1855. An addition was built in 1897, also in cream brick, by James Gilbert Chandler, with dormers, tall entrance pavilions with ornamental sheet metal work, and curved window banks. Winslow Elementary closed in 2005 and in 2023, ownership transferred to the City of Racine. Its future status is unknown.

For more, see: Spring 2021 newsletter, Volume 22, pages 8-10

  • National Register landmark or district: Yes
  • Pre-2006 Racine local landmark: No
  • Current Racine local landmark: No

Janes Elementary School (1883, 1897)

1425 North Wisconsin Street

A two-story, cream brick school building, with prominent round tower rising over a corner entrance. The tower has a conical roof. The attic floor features sharply angled, brick dormers and one square tower.

—Scott Leonard, April 2026

This cream brick school was built in two phases by James Gilbert Chandler, replacing an earlier 1855 Lucas Bradley school—Italianate in 1883 (north side) and French-chateau in 1897. The southeast corner is anchored by a tall, round tower with conical roof. Ownership of Janes Elementary transferred to the City of Racine in 2023, and it closed as a school in 2024. Its future status is unknown.

For more: See Spring 2021 newsletter, Volume 22, pages 8-10

  • National Register landmark or district: No
  • Pre-2006 Racine local landmark: Yes
  • Current Racine local landmark: No

NOTES ABOUT LANDMARKS:

  • National Register landmark or district status does not protect a building from its owner making significant exterior alterations or razing it. It can provide eligibility for certain repair and restoration tax credits, and requires official review when federal or state money is spent on alterations or razing.
  • Pre-2006 Racine local landmark status makes it easier to put a building onto the current landmark list.
  • Current Racine local landmark status provides some official protection, in that plans to make significant exterior alterations or razing a building are subject to public hearing, debate, and approval.