The Union Block

The recent posting of a photo on social media of an Appleton street scene was a revelation to me.  It wasn’t an image I was familiar with, but I leaned it was the north side of E. College Avenue between Oneida and Morrison.  At the center of the picture was a large two-story building which exhibited many features of a William Waters’ design; store fronts flanking stairs to the second floor, sets of triplet windows on the upper floor and intricate brick cornice capped with pediments.  I had to learn more. 

Directories and maps of the time were the best resource.  The earliest directory I found was for 1877, at the time Appleton lacked a coherent numbering system for buildings and so descriptions of location were provided, an example would be (sic) n s Atlantic e Durkee, meaning the north side of Atlantic east of Durkee.  Commercial concerns would often indicate the business block which housed them.  There were several references to The Union Block in the early directory and newspapers, with the aid of fire insurance maps I concluded the building was the Union Block.  The Appleton Post of 12/31/1874 published an article about several of the new building to town, one being the Union Block owned by, Dr. Stansbury, Capt. Edwards, Samuel Phinny and David Smith.  The contractors of the building were William Johnson and Robert Pride, no mention was made of the architect.  I recognized the name of David Smith as being a client of Mr. Waters for such building as the Manufacturers Bank and a residence, perhaps Mr. Smith enlisted architect Waters once again.