| Additional Information: | This building was constructed in 1880 and started out as the Palmer Feed Store. It is not known how long Palmer remained in business in this building. However, from 1897 to 1904, F.S. Rich had a grocery store at this address, and F.S. Rich may have been in this building earlier. From 1904 to 1931, it continued as a general store of some unknown nature. Sometime in the 1920's, the building was rebuilt.
The H.O. Palmer Building possesses potential historical significance as a central business type within Sparta, however, because little historical data is currently associated with the building, its role in the development of Sparta is unclear. It is therefore currently historically insignificant under Criterion A.
This two-story, two-bay, red brick Italianate style commercial building is characterized by a broad, bracketed metal cornice, compartmentalized facade, and projecting segmental arched window heads with corbeled ends and keystone accents. Two recessed bays created by brick work in the form of shouldered arches are further articulated by a long narrow window topped by the decorative window heads in each bay. The present contemporary style storefront is composed of a transom covered by vertical siding and an off-set entrance door.
Although this small commercial building has retained much of its original Italianate architectural character, it has been altered by the replacement of its window with smaller windows and wood panels and by the replacement of its historic storefront with an unsympathetic contemporary storefront.
The H.O. Palmer Building was constructed in 1880 to replace the previous brick Simpson building destroyed by fire in 1879. Part of the commercial block historically known as the Commercial Block, the Hovey building on this site previously to the Simpson also was destroyed by earlier fire on the north end of the block in 1875. The present building sustained soot damage in 1889 in another fire in the adjacent building on its north side. Although this building partially collapsed along with the adjacent buildings at 138 and 140 North Water in 1920, the facade and an undetermined part of the structure apparently was salvaged. Originally, this building, one of several on the north end of the block owned by Hagerman Palmer, was used to house the Palmer Feed and Flour Store.
The H.O. Palmer Building is an Italianate styled commercial block characteruzed mainly by a projecting iron cornice and ornamental window treatment. Although this building is not architecturally significant because of the lack of integrity, the Palmer Building contributes to the proposed Water Street Historic District. Better preserved examples of the Italianate style include the buildings at 117 East Oak (MO35/20), 144 North Water (MO36/14), 118 South Water (MO23/36), and 120 South Water (MO23/35). |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Sparta Herald, Dec. 30, 1879; Jan. 13, 1880; June 8, 1880; Aug. 10, 1880; Jan. 10, 1875; Feb. 5, 1889; July 27, 1920.
(B) Sanborn Insurance Map 1884, 1889, 1894, 1900, 1911, 1922, 1931.
(C) Monroe County Historical Society, Photograph File, Photograph #1283.
(D) City of Sparta Property Tax Rolls 1870-1940.
(E) Annual Directory of Sparta, Wisconsin, Vol. 1. Chicago: Interstate Directory Co., 1897.
(F) Sparta City Directory, 1903-1904. Sparta: R.C. Glover, Publisher, 1904. |
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