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Summary
HERBSTER COMMUNITY CENTER
One block south of STH 13 on Lenawee Road, Herbster, Bayfield County
Architect: Roland C. Buck
Date of construction: 1939
The Herbster Community Center was funded by the Work Progress Administration, a federal agency established in 1935 by President Roosevelt to provide employment for needy workers during the Great Depression. The WPA project at Herbster was developed to utilize local material and to employ local labor while achieving the final goal of erecting a building that could be used as a gymnasium and town hall. Today the center is considered one of the most impressive WPA projects in northern Wisconsin.
Architect Roland C. Buck of Superior, Wisconsin designed the building in the Rustic Style. Rustic architecture is characterized by rough work decoration creating an appearance reminiscent of pioneer log construction and compatible with the rural environment. Native timber, including balsam, spruce and red oak, cut from land owned by the school district, constitutes the majority of the building. The vertical and horizontal positioning of the logs creates a most extraordinary checkerboard appearance across the front façade. The design of the building allows for a multiple uses, as a town hall, school gymnasium, and as a community center.
Approval for the community center was granted on May 13, 1939 and work on the project was started in October 1939. The center was completed in the spring of 1940 at the cost of $30,000. The project employed a crew ranging between 20 and 35 men. The large availability of labor in Herbster at the time was partially due to the decline of the lumber industry, which played an instrumental role in the formation of the town of Herbster.
The Hebster Community Center is a public building and is open to visitors.
Property Details
Resources Within The Property
Designations
State & National Registers of Historic Places
The State Register and National Register recognize buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that are significant in national, state, or local history. The State Historic Preservation Office in conjunction with the National Park Service maintains the list for Wisconsin and makes the data available to the public for research and education.
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“The Gym” Historic Marker
Herbster Community Center, WI -13, one block south of Lenawee Rd, Herbste
475 N Water St
100012899
Located in Platteville, Grant County
