Sustar Woodworks

Located at 720 E. Nash Street in Milwaukee, this early 20th-century industrial building is a rare surviving remnant of the area’s manufacturing past. The surrounding block was once occupied by a larger foundry complex, with this structure likely serving as a support building—potentially a pattern shop or small-scale production space tied to metalworking operations.

The building features a utilitarian hybrid construction, with a masonry brick front and a wood-framed, pole barn–style structure behind. This combination reflects a practical approach to industrial building at the time, pairing a durable street-facing presence with more economical construction for workspace and storage. A railroad spur once ran alongside and behind the building, providing direct access for materials and finished goods—an essential feature for industrial operations of this kind.

While most of the original buildings on the block have since been demolished, this structure remains as a tangible connection to the neighborhood’s working history. When purchased in 2012, the building was operating as a machine shop, continuing its long-standing role as a place of fabrication and skilled trade. Today, it carries that legacy forward as an active woodworking shop, where solid wood furniture is designed and built using traditional joinery and modern techniques.

Its continued use as a place of making—more than a century after it was likely constructed—makes it a unique and meaningful example of Milwaukee’s enduring culture of craft and industry.