Alfred C. Clas originally designed the building in 1895, but it was not built until 1903 after he purchased the land it sits on.[1] It is adjacent to St. James Episcopal Church and across the street from the Central Library, the latter of which was also designed by Ferry & Clas and both of which are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The apartment block was built by Alfred's brother Louis Clas. It is six stories, with a design influenced by Beaux Arts style. The west and north faces are ornamented with corner quoins and a cornice with classical moldings and modillion blocks above a line of dentils. Several columns of windows protrude as multi-story bays. The main entrance on the west side is a single door with sidelights beneath a wood frieze decorated with carved fronds, all framed by a round stone arch. The south and east faces of the building are much less decorated; Clas probably expected large buildings to be constructed on those sides.[3]
Inside, there were originally four apartments per floor, for a total of 26 units. Floors were served by an elevator, which was not common at that time. The larger apartments had formal dining rooms with built-in china cabinets and a servant's bell in the floor. Off the pantry was a maid's room. Bathrooms had clawfoot tubs and many of the apartments had gas fireplaces and leaded glass windows. The basement had a doctor's office, central heating system, and the janitor's suite, for the guy who maintained the building and took care of apartments when the tenants were out.[3]
Clas added features like the maid's room and fireplaces to appeal to the upper middle-class, which is different from most apartments built in Milwaukee at the time, which were walk-ups and Chicago tenement-style. Clas himself lived in one of these apartments from 1909 to 1920.[3]
