Port Washington Cleanup and Restoration

Port Washington was first founded in 1835 as part of an expansion of American interests into lands controlled by the French and British prior to the War of 1812. The area was largely settled by members of the Potawatomi tribe prior to 1835. There was a large village approximately three miles inland on the Milwaukee River, near present day Saukville; testimony from French and American traders documented satellite fishing camps and agricultural fields on the lakeshore throughout that occupation. SERVPRO is Here to Help area residents with any issues arising from water, fire, mold, or storm damage resulting from the often unpredictable Midwest weather.

A lighthouse built on the North Bluff of the city in 1849 served as a navigational aid to the increasingly vigorous shipping industry. The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1860 as part of the U.S. Lighthouse Board’s restructuring efforts.

The Lake Shore Railroad, constructed in 1870, further encouraged the development of foundries, manufacturing, the Wisconsin Chair Factory, and a power plant. Port Washington became an industrial community with an economy that included commercial fishing, shipping, and manufacturing. The Wisconsin Chair Factory employed thirty percent of the county’s workforce. The population of Port Washington expanded from 1,659 in 1890 to over 3,000 in 1900 due to this company’s success. It expanded into making gramophone records through its subsidiary, Paramount Records, in 1917. The Wisconsin Chair Factory closed in 1954. From the 1970s-1990s, other Port Washington Companies, including Simplicity Manufacturing, Bolens Corporation, Koering Co., and Trak International, were absorbed into larger corporations based elsewhere. Port Washington’s commercial harbor operated until 2004, when the WE Energies power plant switched from coal to natural gas. Port Washington retains a small industrial base but is rapidly becoming a residential and tourist community. In 2016, the US Census Bureau estimated that Port Washington’s population was 11,642.

Port Washington residents can count on SERVPRO when they need a premier cleanup and restoration company to assist with a water or fire damage emergency. With over two thousand franchises across the United States and Canada, we are Faster to Any Size Disaster and dedicated to arriving onsite within one hour of your call.