West Bend Downtown Historic District Listed on the State Register of Historic Places
For Immediate Release (December 14, 2022)
West Bend, WI. - The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the West Bend Downtown Historic District in West Bend, Washington County, on the State Register of Historic Places. State Historic Preservation Officer Daina Penkiunas presents a certificate to Jess Wildes, Communications and Economic Development Director, and Jay Shambeau, City Administrator.
The West Bend Downtown Historic District consists of a distinct and notable concentration of nineteenth to mid-twentieth century buildings that remain recognizable from their historic period with buildings dating from 1864 to 1977. The historic district encompasses approximately a four-block stretch of Main Street and its immediate cross streets, which has long served as the primary commercial and retail district of West Bend. It also included both municipal and federal service buildings.
The Downtown Historic District is also significant as a large and intact urban commercial district featuring numerous and largely intact examples of a variety of commercial building styles popular for more than a century. They range from largely unadorned commercial examples to buildings in recognizable “high styles” including Queen Anne, Classical Revival and Art Deco.
The State Register is Wisconsin's official list of state properties determined to be significant to Wisconsin's heritage. The State Historic Preservation Office at the Wisconsin Historical Society administers both the State Register and National Register in Wisconsin.
To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: www.wisconsinhistory.org.
About the Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.