Mansion Hill Historic District (Madison, Wisconsin) Explained

Mansion Hill Historic District
Nrhp Type:hd
Nocat:yes
Location:Roughly bounded by E. Dayton, E. Johnson, E. Gorham, N. Butler, Langdon, and W. Gilman Sts., and Lake Mendota, Madison, Wisconsin
Coordinates:43.0775°N -89.3881°W
Architect:Claude & Starck, Conover and Porter, et al.
Architecture:Italianate, Victorian, Arts and Crafts, etc.
Added:June 4, 1997
Refnum:97000552

The Mansion Hill Historic District encompasses a part of the Mansion Hill neighborhood northwest of the capitol square in Madison, Wisconsin. In the 19th century the district was home to much of Madison's upper class, and held the largest concentration of large, ornate residences in the city, but in the 20th century it shifted to student housing. In 1997 the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[1]

History of the district

Madison was surveyed in 1836 and incorporated as a village in 1846. Initial construction was mostly near the capitol square and King Street, while the hill that would become Mansion Hill remained undeveloped forest. In 1846 J.T. Clark built a wooden house in that forest - no longer extant. Then in 1851 Judge Levi B. Vilas built a stylish sandstone house at 521 North Henry Street and Jeremiah T. Marston built a similar house across the street at 520 N Henry. These two fine homes no longer exist, but others followed, and some from the 1850s do survive. The city's population had grown to 6,864 by 1856, but growth slowed during the Civil War.[1]

By 1870 large stylish houses flanked Gilman Street from North Butler to North Park Streets. Many on the northwest side of Gilman sat on large lots that reached down to Lake Mendota. Southeast of Gilman, smaller houses stood on smaller lots - many in fine Greek Revival and Italianate style.[1]

The neighborhood saw another construction boom starting in the 1880s. Along with growth at the UW and state government, Madison was adding some manufacturing to its economy with concerns like Fuller and Johnson, which made farm implements. Queen Anne style began to overtake the Italianate which had been popular. As styles changed, some of the old-fashioned houses from the 1850s and 60s were replaced by Queen Anne homes, and the large lots were subdivided to make sites for more homes.[1]

Starting in the 1880s some houses were built for rental, followed by duplexes and other rental properties. From 1910 to 1950 demographics changed as demand for student housing prompted the construction of rooming houses and apartment buildings in the neighborhood. The UW population was growing and the university provided on-campus housing only for women. With the influx of students into the neighborhood, many families gradually left for the newly popular suburbs, and some of their old mansions were remodeled into multi-unit housing.[1] From the 1950s to the 1970s, a number of old houses in the district were demolished to make way for new buildings. In response, residents petitioned the city to have the district designated a landmark and protect its history. The district became a city landmark in 1976, officially becoming Madison's first historic district.[2]

Of the 161 contributing buildings, 44 were built prior to 1880, a further 78 were built through 1910. Half of the buildings are in the Italianate and Queen Anne styles, 16 other styles are also represented. Several of the buildings in the district are also individually listed on the historic register.[1]

Example houses in the district

Here are some good examples of different architectural styles present in the district, in roughly the order built:

Greek Revival

The Nye House at 115 E. Johnson Street is a Greek Revival-style house built in 1857, with the relatively low-pitched roof, the simple window treatment, and the cornice returns typical of the style.[3] [1]

Italianate style

Romanesque Revival

The hallmark of Romanesque Revival style is the round-topped arches above window and door openings, as opposed to square tops or pointed arches.

Gothic Revival

Second Empire

The hallmark of Second Empire style in the US is the mansard roof.

Queen Anne

Queen Anne is the most common style in the district. Some good examples are:

Tudor Revival

Neoclassical

Mediterranean Revival

Craftsman

Prairie School

Dutch Colonial Revival

Colonial Revival

Art Moderne

Notes and References

  1. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=97000552}} National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Mansion Hill Historic District]. Elizabeth L. Miller. 2015-05-31. PDF. September 6, 1995. National Park Service.
  2. Web site: Mansion Hill Historic District. Historical Marker Database.org. 2012-02-06.
  3. Web site: Hiram & Lydia Nye House. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-08.
  4. Web site: Samuel R. Fox/Napoleon Bonaparte and Annie Van Slyke. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-09.
  5. Web site: Robert M. Bashford House. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-08.
  6. Web site: William W. & Hontas Daniels Residence. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-09.
  7. Web site: Carrie Pierce House/Alexander A. McDonnell. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-11.
  8. Web site: Part of Madison's Historic Past. Mansion Hill Inn. 2023-03-12.
  9. Web site: Holy Redeemer Catholic Church. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-10.
  10. Web site: John Corey House. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-10.
  11. Web site: Judge Arthur B. Braley House. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-15.
  12. Web site: Memorial Reformed Church and Bethel Evangelical Luthe. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-10.
  13. Web site: Napoleon B. & Laura S. Van Slyke House / Dr. Keenan House. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-10.
  14. Web site: George Hickock Residence. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-12.
  15. Web site: Daniel Campbell Residence. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-12.
  16. Web site: Frank G. Brown Rental House/Walker House. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-12.
  17. Web site: Steensland, Halle, House. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-12.
  18. Web site: Edmund & Ida Hart Residence. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-15.
  19. Web site: L.M. Winterbotham House. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-12.
  20. Web site: Madison Masonic Temple. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-12.
  21. Web site: The Pinckney Apartments. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-15.
  22. Web site: First Unitarian Society Parsonage. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-13.
  23. Web site: Wooton-Mead House. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-13.
  24. Web site: Dr. William G. & Lucy A. Beecroft Residence. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-13.
  25. Web site: Elizabeth S. & Dr. Reginald H. Jackson Residence. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-15.
  26. Web site: William G. Schumaker/Joseph & Amelia Bollenbeck House. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-13.
  27. Web site: First Church of Christ Scientist. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-13.
  28. Web site: Quisling Towers Apartments. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-15.
  29. Web site: Edgewater Apartment and Hotel. Wisconsin Historical Society. 2023-03-15.