Property Record
130 E GILMAN ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Old Executive Mansion |
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| Reference Number: | 16101 |
| Location (Address): | 130 E GILMAN ST |
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| County: | Dane |
| City: | Madison |
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| Year Built: | 1856 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1991 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Italianate |
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| Wall Material: | Sandstone |
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| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Old Executive Mansion |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 4/11/1973 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 1/1/1989 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| 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, State Historic Preservation Office. Italianate influences. Also known as the Knapp Memorial Graduate Center, the former Executive Mansion served as the home for seventeen Wisconsin governors. MAP CODE = 0709-144-0203-0. Madison Historic Landmark: 1/17/1972. Constructed of locally quarried sandstone and designed in the Italianate style, this house was originally constructed as a private residence for Julius T. White in 1855-1856. White, the secretary of the Wisconsin Insurance Company, sold the house to fellow businessman George P. Delaplaine in 1857. In 1868 the house was bought by millionaire lumber baron J. G. Thor, whose young daughter Sarah, married Ole Bull, the sixty year old Norwegian violinist, in one of the most lavish weddings the town had seen. Since 1883, the State of Wisconsin has maintained an Executive Residence for the Governor. Two separate residences have served this function--the former on East Gilman Street in Madison, and the current on Cambridge Road in Maple Bluff. The first building served as the Executive Residence from 1883 to 1950, and the second from 1950 to the present. Both buildings began as private residences, and later made the transition to Executive Residences. "The Knapp Memorial Graduate Center, built in 1856, served as the executive residence for 17 Wisconsin governors from 1885 to 1950. Through the years, it has been the scene of many elegant social functions. Its first owners, Julius T. and Catherine White, built the Italianate style home of locally quarried sandstone. White sold the house in 1857 to one of Madison's first settlers, George P. Delaplaine and his wife, Emily. Delaplaine was secretary to Governors Farwell and Dewey and co-owner of one of the largest real estate development firms in the city. In 1867 the house rose to greater social prominence when it was purchased by State Senator J. G. Thorp, a millionaire lumber baron, and his wife Amelia. The Thorps' young daughter, Sarah, married Ole Bull, the world-famous 60-year-old Norwegian violinist in 1870 in one of the most lavish weddings the town had ever seen. Jeremiah Rusk bought the home for $15,000 in 1883, when he was elected governor. After extensive renovations, the house was sold to the state in 1885 for a sum "not to exceed $20,000." Renovations by architects Conover and Porter in 1897 included a sweeping wrap-around veranda with Ionic columns, which was drastically reduced in size in the 1960s. The center was purchased in 1950 by the University of Wisconsin with Knapp funds." Madison's Pioneer Buildings: A Downtown Walking Tour, 1987. Covenant/Easement: In Perpetuity. Effective 4-11-2017. A 'covenant file' exists for this property. It may contain additional information such as photos, drawings and correspondence. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Sandstone and Buffalo Robes: Madison's historic buildings, third edition, 1975. Madison's Pioneer Buildings: A Downtown Walking Tour, 1987. Madison Houses 1836-1915 by Jill Moore Marx Perrin, Richard W. E., Historic Wisconsin Architecture, First Revised Edition (Milwaukee, 1976). A Celebration of Architecture: Wisconsin Society of Architects Tour of Significant Architecture, 1979. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |