With three-sided footprints, the Suhr Building and the Jackman Building are examples of a “flatiron,” a common building form in Madison thanks to the street plan devised by James Duane Doty when he was pitching the isthmus, then occupied by the Ho-Chunk, as the capital of the new Wisconsin Territory in 1836. This month we look at this popular building form and where we see it in our community ..read more

The reign of Queen Anne—as an American architectural style—ended more than 100 years ago. In its heyday, the style was immensely popular across the country. The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory has records for 1,007 Queen Anne houses in Dane County, and 490 in Madison. Though the branches of the family tree have grown slender and sparse, I’ve tracked down some local, modern-day descendants that demonstrate clear bloodlines ..read more

I’m happy to travel for architecture. I’m also content to find treasures close to home. Traveling far from home is not a requirement for finding places and things that are interesting, pleasurable, and illuminating. This month I look at two sub-styles I set aside as “exceedingly rare” in my recent piece about Spanish Revival influences seen in Madison and Dane County to see what they can tell us ..read more

by Michael Bridgeman In November of 2022, I wrote about French-style houses in the Madison area. This month I turn my attention to Spanish-influenced buildings, a category which is at once narrower—examples are scarce in our area—and broader—there are more than houses to consider. In the United States, architectural styles have tended to flow from east to west. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that American architects paid serious attention to the Hispanic heritage of a vast area stretching from San Francisco though Texas and into parts of Florida, as well as Mexico. Spanish-inspired arch ..read more

By Michael Bridgeman and Jennifer Gurske Since 1989, The Madison Trust for Historic Preservation has celebrated award recipients at our Historic Preservation Awards. The event has changed over the years, but we always strive to recognize projects that show a high level of devotion to historic preservation through property owners, architects, designers, contractors or other participants. We also recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions in activities that support the preservation and promotion of our cultural heritage. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Madison Trus ..read more

By Michael Bridgeman This is the third in an occasional series of posts focusing on a single site and how it has changed over time. Earlier entries have looked at the locations of St. John’s Lutheran Church and Manchester’s Department Store.  Click image to view full screen. Main and Carroll Streets, circa 1913 [1] The intersection of Main and Carroll Streets has long been a prominent site on the Capitol Square. While that’s due partly to the presence of the Park Hotel, it’s also a function of topography. Moving counterclockwise around the capitol, whether on foot or on wheels, the slow ..read more

By Michael Bridgeman Cast iron is an ancient material. By the eighteenth century it was employed in the United States for framing industrial buildings and by the 1840s was used for cast-iron façades. As it became popular across the country in the 1850s, decorative cast-iron appeared on Madison buildings, too. For architectural purposes it could be put to many uses, structural and decorative, since it was easily cast in a range of forms and styles, and it was inexpensive, especially compared to stone. [a] Click images to view full screen. Madison’s second capitol building [1] The most monument ..read more

By Michael Bridgeman View fullsize The La Follette House [1] View fullsize North Hall [2] Click images to view full screen The National Register of Historic Places was created in 1966 as a provision of the National Historic Preservation Act. When President Lyndon Johnson signed the bill on October 16, two buildings became the first Dane County entries on the register: the Robert M. La Follette House in Maple Bluff (733 Lakewood Blvd.) and North Hall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Dane County now has 272 buildings, structures, effigy mounds, and other places on the National Re ..read more

By Michael Bridgeman Television ad, 1948 [1] This time of year, I get itchy feet. There are buildings and places to see, but limited daylight, cold temperatures, and snow and ice (when they come) make that difficult if not impossible. One way to satisfy the itch is through the small screen, be it a TV or laptop. This month I offer a small sample of television programs, video presentations, and lectures that may help the architecture enthusiast cope as daylight slowly increases and temperatures creep up. Sources I’ve narrowed my recommendations to make them decidedly local; they are about plac ..read more

By Michael Bridgeman & Jennifer Gurske Celebrating Madison’s historic places is at the heart of our mission at Madison Trust for Historic Preservation. Since this is a season full of celebrations, there is no better time to spread the joy to be found in vintage buildings than with a gift from the Madison Trust—an annual membership, private or summer walking tour tickets, and note cards, oh my! We also have further suggestions for locally focused gifts, including books, ornaments and even a typewriter mug, that spotlight the places that make not only Madison, but Wisconsin special. Madison ..read more