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Property Location
| Location (Address) | 975 OBSERVATORY DR |
|---|---|
| County | Dane |
| City/Village | Madison |
| Township | |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Town | |
| Range | |
| Direction | |
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| Quarter Section | |
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Property Features
| Year Built | 1887 |
|---|---|
| Additions | |
| Survey Date | 1974 |
| Historic Use | university or college building |
| Architectural Style | Other Vernacular |
| Structural System | |
| Wall Material | Stone - Unspecified |
| Architect | H. C. Koch |
| Other Buildings On Site | |
| Demolished | No |
| Demolished Date | |
| Additional Comments |
A 'site file' (Bascom Hill Historic District) exists for this property. 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. The Mining Engineering and Metallurgy Lab is now known as Radio Hall, because from 1934 to 1972 it housed the studios of WHA, the nation’s oldest continuously operating radio station. Designed by Milwaukee’s Henry Koch and built in 1887, the low-slung building has wide segmentally-arched openings, filled with multi-paned windows, reflecting the Romanesque Revival style. The murals in the lobby were painted under the auspices of the National Youth Administration, a New Deal agency that provided work for needy youth and college students during the Great Depression. Metal and Mining Engineering (Radio Hall) is contributing to the Bascom Hill Historic District, NR listed 1974, NRIS #: 74000065 "...built in 1887 as the original University Heating Station. In December of 1934 WHA Radio moved into the hall and began to refurbish the rather modest building. Along the lobby walls at the ceiling level are copies of petrographs (stone carvings) found on Indian cave walls along the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. They were reproduced through federal grants from the National Youth Administration, established during the depression to provide work for college students. John Gallagher, a University student working with Wayne Claxton, Art, did the carvings and reproductions of Indian drums on the ceiling light fixtures and the oak furniture. The huge wall mural depicting the early days of radio on campus were painted by another student project worker, John Stella of Kenosha, in egg tempera. The purpose of the lobby's design was to harmonize the "oldest known means of communication" with the modern communication techniques, specifically WHA Radio, which originated the Wisconsin School of the Air and other pioneering educational programs. Prof. H. B. McCarty once wanted to renovate the building's outside, too, and called in architect Frank Lloyd Wright for advice. Wright took a long look at Radio Hall, and announced, "Don't touch it, my boy, it's one of the two honest buildings in Madison." WHA moved to Vilas Communication Hall in 1972. Radio Hall is now the home of UW-Extension's Instructional Communications Systems." University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Madison Tour Guide, 1988. |
| Bibliographic References | Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript. University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Madison Tour Guide, 1988. |
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
| National/State Register Listing Name | Bascom Hill Historic District |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date | Sep 12, 1974 |
| State Register Listing Date | Jan 01, 1989 |
| Contributing | Yes |
| Additional Documentation | Jan 23, 2013 |
Architecture & History Inventory
The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.
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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.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
Access Property Records
Some properties have more materials (correspondence, clippings, historical information, etc.) not in the digital record. If a 'Site File' exists, it's noted in the 'Additional Comments' field. Contact us for an appointment to view these materials.
Bounded by Observatory Dr., University Ave., and N. Park, Langdon, and State Sts.
74000065
Located in Madison, Dane County
Bascom Hill, UW Campus, Madison
1880
Drawing of University Hall by D.C. Salisbury showing the view from the bottom, south side of the hill on the University of Wisconsin campus. Bascom Hall, built in 1859, was originally called Unive...
College of Engineering
1916
View up Bascom Hill of the Engineering Building on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Bascom Hall can be seen on top of Bascom Hill.
