Property Record
4353 W BELTLINE HWY
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Vikingtown Motel |
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| Other Name: | Highlander Motor Inn |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 124607 |
| Location (Address): | 4353 W BELTLINE HWY |
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| County: | Dane |
| City: | Madison |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1950 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2001 |
| Historic Use: | lodging-hotel |
| Architectural Style: | Contemporary |
| Structural System: | Masonry |
| Wall Material: | Stone Veneer |
| Architect: | Livermore and Samuelson |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | Yes |
| Demolished Date: | 2012 |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| National Register Listing Date: | |
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| Additional Information: | A 'site file' 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. The Highlander Motor Inn was built as the Vikingtown Motel in 1950. A small parking lot wraps around the south- and west-facing facades. The Vikingtown Motel was designed by the Madison architectural firm of Livermore and Samuelson in Neo-Colonial Revival style. It is of masonry construction with a side-gabled roof. The footprint is W-shaped, more or less, with the base of the W facing southwest and overlooking the intersection of the Beltline Highway and Verona Road. The wings of the W are broadly splayed. The building is finished with smooth stucco, except at the base of the W, where random coursed stone veneer appears. The stone veneer marks the public spaces: the former restaurant and the office. Part of the stone-veneered section displays two bay windows, a front-facing gable with vertical boards and a broad, interior chimney of stone. This was the restaurant, which has been closed since at least 1990. The office is located just west of the former restaurant. A low wall of random, coursed stone frames a concrete patio in front of the office and restaurant, emphasizing that these are the public spaces. The Vikingtown Motel was erected for Axel Lonquist, a builder, who may have constructed the building himself. The motel originally included the Vikingtown Restaurant and Lounge; this was inside the motel building, adjacent to the office. Sometime between 1974 and 1977, the motel began operating under its current name, the Highlander Motor Inn. The motel included a restaurant until at least 1986. By 1990, the restaurant had become a tavern and by 1994, the tavern had closed. |
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| Bibliographic References: | "Architecture/History Survey," April and May 2001. Prepared by Elizabeth Miller. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |