Property Record
348-354 E MAIN ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 5889 |
| Location (Address): | 348-354 E MAIN ST |
|---|---|
| County: | Dane |
| City: | Stoughton |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
| Range: | |
| Direction: | |
| Section: | |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1898 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 199020132019 |
| Historic Use: | small office building |
| Architectural Style: | Commercial Vernacular |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Main Street Commercial Historic District (Boundary Increase) |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | 5/12/1994 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 4/23/1993 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. (Main Street Historic District) 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, Division of Historic Preservation-Public History. Another map code for this building is DA 40/11, found on the DOT Stoughton map. Architectural Description: 334-364 East Main Street is a commercial vernacular building with Italianate detailing. Rising two stories in height and expanding to three bays in width, it is the largest building on the block. The pressed metal cornice has dentils, panels, and brackets in an elaborate profile. Beneath it on the second story of the main (south) elevation is a unique fenestration pattern. Two tripartite windows, each of which is compressed within a round arch, contain Queen Anne influenced, multi-paned, fixed sash transom lights. Nestled between the large flanking windows are two smaller windows, each also within a round arch. Polychromatic brick vousoirs make up the arches - the larger ones of which have red vousoirs, and the smaller ones of which have alternating red and cream brick vousoirs. Although the ground floor was altered, the general shape of the first story appears to have remained intact. Centered doors provide access to the first floor commercial space, while an off-centered door accesses the second floor. The building was constructed between 1892 and 1898 [B], and is in good condition. Architectural Significance: This property is a contributing feature of the Main Street Historic District under Criterion C of the National Register. Its scale and materials contribute to the understanding of commercial architecture in Stoughton from the 1880s through 1940. Historical Background: The first building on this site was built between 1884 and 1887. [B]. It was a wood frame building and was on the site until between 1892 and 1898, at which time a brick veneer front, iron veneer rear, two section building was constructed. The building contained a photography studio, a YMCA and offices. [B]. In 1904 a Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and a photography studio occupied the first floor. [B]. In 1912 the building functioned as a hardware store, located on the first floor, and as a photography studio, located on the second floor. [B]. F. O. Phillips was the proprietor of the hardware store from 1915 to 1928. [A, B, C]. Historical Significance: This property is significant under Criterion A as an example of the Goods and Services element of the Commerce Theme for Stoughton and is a contributing resource in the Main Street Historic District. August 2013: signage removed; no other visible changes August 2019: Appearance unchanged. |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: | A. "Farrell-McCoy Directory Co. Stoughton Directory 1915-1916. Rockford, Illinois: Rockford Printing Co., 1915. B. Sanborn-Perris Insurance Maps: 1884, 1887, 1889, 1892, 1904, 1912, 1926, 1926-43. C. W. H. Lightfoot Co.'s Dane County, Wis., Directory 1928-29. Peoria, Illinois: W. H. Lightfoot Co., 1928. D. Rebecca Sample Bernstein for the City of Stoughton Landmarks Commission and Downtown Revitalization Association, Historic Main Street: An Architectural & Historical Guide to Downtown Stoughton, 1991. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |