Cannery Square

Cross Main Street to the south and take note of the the mural on the building at the corner of Market and Main (245 E. Main St.).

This building's original construction dates from 1887, with additional modification in 1901. The mural was painted by local artist Steven Brock in 2015 and traces from Sun Prairie’s naming story in 1837, to a city parade scene in honor of veterans and a homage to renowned Sun Prairie artist Georgia O’Keeffe.^[1]  The newer Cain Building sits further up the block at 243 E. Main Street.

The city district to the southeast of this spot housed two key industries, agricultural canning and porcelain manufacturing, that were a large source of employment for Sun Prairie residents during most of the 20th century. The Sun Prairie Canning company was started in 1900, with the main canning building now the home of the Nitty Gritty on Market Street.^[2] With the heightened demand for canned food during WWII, the canning factory employed over 500 people who were assisted by German POWs used for field and canning work.^[3]

Automobile production was taking off when the American Sparkplug Company was founded in Sun Prairie in 1919.^[4] Porcelain insulators were a key component of the sparkplug devices that were essential for the growing numbers of automobile engines. Later renamed Wisconsin Porcelain, the company remained Sun Prairie’s largest employer from 1940 through 1963. Prior to circuit breaker technology, the company was shipping over 600,000 of the ubiquitous “Buss Fuses” per day.^[5]

In the early 2000s, the City of Sun Prairie pursued redevelopment of the entire cannery site and a neighboring porcelain factory site as part of a $20m “Cannery Square” downtown revitalization initiative.^[6]

Scroll down for more detail on these buildings.

245 E. Main​

Historic Name: John & William Hein/J. F. Dott & Co. Building​

Constructed: 1887/1901​

Current Business: Sun Prairie Flowers by Hen & Chick

Although widely believed to have been built by brothers John and William Hein, a local newspaper indicated that William Hein’s business partner was John Smith.^[7] Regardless, the 1887 building was three bays wide. In 1901 J. F. Dott & Co. combined it with the structure next door, which is why the farthest right second-floor window sits slightly further apart from the first three. In 1931, George Fisher and his son Stanley purchased the building and sold field seeds, feed and fertilizers. Christmas trees were sold out of the back stockroom. The second floor was used as a dance hall, later becoming apartments. In 1955, Sun Prairie Rexall Drugs moved from across the street into this building. The store had a luncheonette and served as the local Greyhound Bus stop.

243 E. Main​

Historic Name: Ervin Cain Building​

Constructed: 1953​

Current Businesses: Carpe Diem Boutique, The Wire Basket

This building replaced a tin workshop originally associated with the Hayden Hardware Store. It was built by Ervin Cain in 1953 and housed a women’s wear store and a beauty shop. Notice the entire building is placed at an angle to the street and sidewalk, with the west corner sitting about five feet further back.

^[1] Sun Prairie Star (Sun Prairie) July 17th, 2015.

^[2] Heggland, Timothy F., “Fuhremann Canning Company Factory – NPS Historic Place Submission”, National Park Service Registration Form, March 18, 2004

^[3] Klein, Peter Michael. Sun Prairie's People - Shadows and Dreams. Sun Prairie, WI. Sun Prairie Historical Museum, 1993. Page 128

^[4] Ibid, Page 108

^[5] Sun Prairie Historical Library and Museum – Porcelain Exhibit Page

^[6] Wisconsin DNR Site Study. https://dnr.wi.gov/files/PDF/pubs/rr/RR891.pdf

^[7] Sun Prairie Countryman (Sun Prairie) August 11th, 1887.