Property Record
SE COR. OF MAIN & WATER
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Cambridge Mill |
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| Other Name: | Garden Market |
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| Reference Number: | 5290 |
| Location (Address): | SE COR. OF MAIN & WATER |
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| County: | Dane |
| City: | Cambridge |
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| Year Built: | 1848 |
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| Additions: | C. 1990 1854 |
| Survey Date: | 1999 |
| Historic Use: | mill |
| Architectural Style: | Astylistic Utilitarian Building |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Stone - Unspecified |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. See also Donath's agricultural research. The Keys Grist and Saw Mill was built by A. B. Carpenter and Joseph Keys. In 1854, extensive improvements were made by George Dow, a local developer. Various exterior materials include concrete block, steel siding and stone. The south side of the building has the original walls exposed. 1999 Survey: All modern elevator components removed. Large shed additions flank the structure. 1990 addition consists of board siding and a series of modern windows Briefly, Joseph Keyes and Alvin Carpenter received water rights to the Koshkonong Creek in 1847; these pioneer settlers subsequently constructed the side-gable block, which became known as the Cambridge Mill. Powered by a millrace, the mill served area residents as both a flour and saw mill for many years. In its early days, it had a capacity to grind 12,000 barrels of flour annually. In 1853, George Dow purchased the enterprise and owned it until it was damaged by fire in 1901. Daniel and Lloyd Scott soon rebuilt the structure and operated it as a feed mill. By the late 1920s, the facility was officially known as Cambridge Fuel and Feed; however by 1932, silt had clogged the race and the mill was closed. The building stood vacant until 1942, when Don Prescott and Lester Jarlsburg opened the Cambridge Feed & Seed Company. In 1955, Prescott sold his share of the business to Jarlsburg, who, in turn, sold it to Tim Walton in 1976. The mill closed in 1989 and remained vacant until the Rockdale Union Stoneware Company removed the feed-making equipment and renovated the building into commercial shops in 1992. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Historic name and construction date taken from Borge, ed., Cambridge, Wisconsin, 1847-1997. Architecture/History Survey. September 1999. Prepared by Heritage Research, Ltd. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |