Goldmann’s Store Sign

Goldmann’s operated at 930 W. Historic Mitchell St. from 1896 until it closed in 2007. The independent department store was located at 930 W. Mitchell Street and closed after 111 years, from 1896 to 2007. The South Side Milwaukee landmark installed its signature lunch counter in 1933, made by Vitro Seating Products. The interior of the store remained basically unchanged after the 1950s, but business declined over the decades as the population demographics changed and big box mega chains eroded longstanding smaller retail businesses.

In 2020, the preserved Goldmann’s lunch counter was featured in an exhibit at  the Milwaukee County Historical Society. It was the first public display of the lunch counter since Goldmann’s closed. Milwaukee residents had a strong attachment to Goldmann’s, who distinctly remember going there to shop or for milkshakes at lunch.

After being dismounted, the sign sat behind the former store until a collector purchased it and hauled the sign to North Dakota in 2015. Two years later, family member Adam Levin was able to buy it back. After working to raise enough funds to refurbish the quintessential sign, Levin donated it to the Museum where it awaits possible restoration.

Poor: wood is rotting and sign is significantly compromised from being outdoors and in the elements; sign was damaged during transportation due to the crate’s poor condition