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Property Record

4828 MAIN ST

Historic Name:
Ritger Wagonmaking and Blacksmith Shop (Jacob Ritger)
Other Name:
Reference Number:
14174

Property Location

Location (Address) 4828 MAIN ST
County Washington
City/Village
Township Addison
Unincorporated community ST. LAWRENCE
Town 11
Range 18
Direction E
Section 34
Quarter Section
Quarter Quarter Section

Property Features

Year Built 1867
Additions
Survey Date 1982
Historic Use blacksmith shop
Architectural Style Side Gabled
Structural System
Wall Material Fieldstone
Architect
Other Buildings On Site
Demolished No
Demolished Date
Additional Comments 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, State Historic Preservation Office. SEGMENTAL ARCH BRICK LINTELS. FRIEZE WINDOWS. 2 STORY WAGON SHOP ATTACHED TO 1 STORY BLACKSMITH SHOP. 35 INCH SPLIT FIELDSTONE WALLS W/HEAVY MORTAR JOINTS. HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT IN DEVELOPMENT OF ST. LAWRENCE. In 1867, Jacob Ritger opened his wagonmaking shop in the crossroads village of St. Lawrence to serve the surrounding agricultural region. His commodious one-and-one-half-story shop is a vernacular industrial building constructed of split fieldstone, laid with ample mortar. Boulders tie the thick walls together at the corners, and segmentally arched lintels of yellow brick support most of the window and door openings. The fieldstone and yellow brick create a colorful appearance. Attic windows light the upper level. Ritger used the double-door opening on the south side to get materials into the shop and finished wagons out. The opening has been filled, but the heavy wooden lintel remains visible. Later, Ritger formed a partnership with Louis Hermann, a blacksmith whose attached one-story shop is also built of fieldstone. Iron hitching rings on the exterior and interior walls attest to the many horses that this village smithy once shod. In 1915, cabinetmaker Herman Ziegelbauer converted the wagon shop into a residence.
Bibliographic References ZIMMERMANN, RUSSELL, "THE HERITAGE GUIDEBOOK" (HERITAGE BANKS 1976). SEE PERRIN 1960 pg. 17. West Bend Daily News 6/14/1999. Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript. Perrin, Richard W. E., Historic Wisconsin Architecture, First Revised Edition (Milwaukee, 1976).

National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings

National/State Register Listing Name Ritger Wagonmaking and Blacksmith Shop,
National Register Listing Date Jun 01, 1982
State Register Listing Date Jan 01, 1989
Contributing
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Attribution

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.

 

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