Sketch Racine USA 2025

Urban Sketchers Racine is hosting Sketch Racine USA 2025, September 5 -7.  Our events include:
Wind Point Lighthouse, River Bend Nature Center, EAVE Rooftop, Belle City Square/Horlick Malt Complex, Inclusive Bean Coffee Shop, Downtown Racine, Hot Shop Glass, Indian Motorcycle, Historic Firehouse 3 Museum, and Piper Farm/Klinkert Barn.

Our logo for this event designed by Urban Sketcher/Architect – Brian Wright

The Ernst Klinkert Barn is located at 4717 Lathrop Ave., Mt. Pleasant, WI, USA
The Bluegrass style barn was built in 1889 by Racine brewery owner Ernst C. Klinkert for his sulky racing horses. During the golden age of harness racing (1850 – 1900), there were numerous stables and oval racetracks in southeastern Wisconsin. Two enormous stables were owned by J.I. Case, founder of Case Tractors and the Uihlein brothers of Milwaukee’s Schlitz Brewery. The barn was sold to Wallace Piper and his son Howard in 1928 after prohibition ruined Klinkert’s business. The Pipers were successful potato and onion farmers, and the land surrounding the barn is still owned and farmed by William Piper. Piper Farms offers organically grown produce at its roadside stand from May through October. The current owners of the barn, Jan and Linda Roland, acquired it and Klinkert’s adjacent farmhouse in 2001, and have restored both to outstanding condition. The Klinkert barn is one of the only remaining examples of these harness racing barns.
Horlick Malt Factory – Racine, WI, USA
1873 – Two Brothers, William and James Horlick, and their wives, Arabella and Margaret, emigrate from England to the United States and found the J & W Horlick Company, producing malted milk as a nutritional supplement.
1916 – A two-story garage is added to the property grounds. Horlick malt products rapidly expand in sales, reaching the far corners of the world, from Greenland to Italy, and to the Hawaiian Islands, Hong Kong, and even to Antarctica with the most famous explorers of the time.
1953 – Famously, all those who served at Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 were given a free bottle of the Horlick Malted Milk tablets.
1975 – On the 100th anniversary of the company’s founding, the Horlick Malt Factory ceases operations.
2019 – J. Jeffers & Co. applies to add the complex to the National Register of Historic Places.
2020 – All the site’s 14 historical buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. J. Jeffers & Co. announces a vision to convert the site into a mixed-use town center. The name “Belle City Square” is selected.
2023 and ahead – Belle City Square continues to grow, quickly becoming a center of community and economic activity. Old meets new: The reimagined William building and the newly constructed Avenue North apartments open, The Inclusive Bean Coffee House is added with more buildings on the way.

The Inclusive Bean – Located in the center of Belle City Square (HUB for the sketch event Sat. am)
The Inclusive Bean is a place where individuals of all abilities can have a sense of belonging, be challenged appropriately, and be supported in wherever they may be going next in life. Not only do we brew a dang good cup of coffee, but we do it with love, compassion, and happiness. When you visit our shop, you will instantly be impressed with our employees and want to come back. We take pride in giving back to our community, and hope you visit The Inclusive Bean for years to come, whether you’re working on a lunch break, studying, or simply enjoying a cup of coffee, we are here to give you a cup brewed with love.