by Erik Peterson and Benji Timm

Examples of late 19th and early 20th century residential and commercial styles adorn the street. These range from the typical Milwaukee Flat to Art Deco industrial structures. Among the rows of houses and assorted buildings along Holton Street, a late 19th century commercial-style building stands alone. Unique to its surroundings and Holton Street in general, the L. Maytas Building was built in 1899 as a mixed-use commercial and residential structure. Its first commercial tenant was Gustav Zimprich, who operated his bakery on the first floor. Later, the bakery was run by Holsom Bakery. It ceased to be a bakery in 1965, and by the 1970’s, a home improvement store was in business on the first floor. Today, the building stands vacant, with the baking ovens still intact in the basement, a giant first floor commercial space, and ten apartments on the upper floors. The building features a red pressed brick facade and Cream City brick on the remaining three sides. The arched window frames that surround the building hint at a Romanesque influence. Limestone lintels cap the second story windows, while keystones accent the arched windows on the third story of the facade. Corbelling highlights the rooflines around the entire building and ultimately compliments a simple 19th century style cornice on the facade. There are blunted capitols on the corners and a name stone. The L. Maytas Building is an intact example of a 19th century commercial-style building and a jewel on the Holton Street streetscape. You can see it for yourself at 2443 North Holton Street. Riverwest Currents – Volume 1 – Issue 4 – May 2002