Horlick Industrial Works

The Horlick Malted Milk Complex in Racine, Wisconsin, was the headquarters and manufacturing center of the company founded by English-born brothers William and James Horlick. Here, William perfected and patented a nutritious powdered food made from malted barley, wheat, and milk in 1883. Convenient, easily digested, and nonperishable, Horlick’s Malted Milk became an international success—used in homes and hospitals and carried by soldiers, travelers, and polar explorers around the world. 
 
Built and expanded between 1885 and 1926, the sprawling industrial complex reflected the company’s remarkable growth. Its cream-brick buildings, smokestacks, towers, turrets, and castle-like Gothic Revival details made Horlick’s Works one of Racine’s most recognizable landmarks. Malted milk production at the site ended in 1975, but the surviving buildings preserve an important chapter in Racine’s industrial history and have since been revitalized as part of Belle City Square.