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Summary
Steensland, Halle, House
315 N. Carroll Street, Madison, Dane County
Architects: Gordon and Paunack
Date of Construction: 1896
The powerful 19th century mythos of Horatio Alger's rags-to-riches story captured the imagination and sparked the aspirations of countless immigrants like Norwegian Halle Steensland. From his humble beginnings as a rural Rock County store clerk, Steensland rose to prominence in the insurance and banking businesses before serving as Wisconsin's vice-consul to Sweden and Norway. Like many nouveau riche of his age, Steensland was also a philanthropist, although his donation of funding for the Steensland Bridge on East Washington Avenue and support of the Madison Park and Pleasure Drive Association's scenic drives also proved to be a shrewd investment in the value of his extensive Maple Bluff land holdings.
Steensland's opulent 1896 home expresses the "more is not enough" aesthetic of the Queen Anne style, exploding in a riot of texture, color and pattern. Local architects J.O. Gordon and F.W. Paunack used an exuberant pallet of red brick, rusticated stone, and molded brick and terra cotta to execute a richly ornamented house that conveyed Steensland's wealth through its sheer abundance of decorative work. Now surrounded by surface parking, the Steensland house was once located in the midst of similar homes of Madison elites, who chose this location due to its proximity to the Capitol Square.
This house is operated as the Bethel Parish resale shop and is open during normal business hours.
Property Details
| Criteria | Event,Person,Architecture/Engineering |
|---|---|
| Area Of Significance | Architecture,Commerce,Politics/Government,Social History |
| Period of Significance | 1875-1899,1900-1924 |
| Architectural Style | Queen Anne |
| Architect | Gordon & Paunack |
| Resource Type | Building |
| Historic Use | Single Dwelling |
Resources Within The Property
| Contributing Buildings | 1 |
|---|---|
| Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Contributing Objects | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Buildings | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Objects | 0 |
Designations
| Historic Status | Listed in the National Register |
|---|---|
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Nov 30, 1982 |
| Historic Status | Listed in the State Register |
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Jan 1, 1989 |
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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Email UsAttribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
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315 N CARROLL ST (MOVED TO 15 W GORHAM)
73316
Located in Madison, Dane County
Steensland Home Sitting Room
1899
Interior of the lavishly decorated sitting room in Halle Steensland's house at 315 North Carroll Street.
Halle Steensland at Home
1899
Halle Steensland poses in his lavishly decorated library at his house on 315 North Carroll Street.
1500 E WASHINGTON AVE (OVER YAHARA RIVER)
115057
Located in Madison, Dane County
