Baumbach Building

The building Liebert created for Baumbach is a fine example of the Richardsonian Romanesque construction style with a blending of Chicago School architecture. Terra cotta lion heads decorate the upper floor alongside the arched windows, and the street names are carved along the second story, also made of terra cotta. It is one of the last remaining original structures of its kind in the Third Ward.

The first tenants of the Baumbach building were the Cohen Brothers clothiers, who specialized in men's clothing, particularly those for lumberjacks and miners. By 1916 the building was the home of Phoenix Knitting Company and utilized as a storehouse and dining room for its employees. In 1946 the building was remodeled and gained new life as the home of Midwest Lamp & Novelty Co., who used it for lampshade construction and plating as well as storage. The building was remodeled again in 1984 with a new name, the Buffalo Building. In this phase of the building's life, it became the first building in the Third Ward to be converted into residential space, sparking a decades-long revamp of the derelict neighborhood. In the same year, the building was added to the National Register for Historic Places and is the only building listed on Milwaukee's "Commission Row."

The Buffalo/Baumbach Building is now a centerpiece of the revitalized Third Ward as a mixture of residential condominiums and commercial retail space on the lower levels. It houses a cafe and office space for Capital Data and Internet. Its distinctive design stands out among the many newer buildings that dot the surrounding blocks as a testament to Milwaukee's commercial and manufacturing history.