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Property Location
| Location (Address) | 424 N PINCKNEY ST |
|---|---|
| County | Dane |
| City/Village | Madison |
| Township | |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Town | |
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Property Features
| Year Built | 1857 |
|---|---|
| Additions | 1985, 1938 |
| Survey Date | 1991 |
| Historic Use | house |
| Architectural Style | Romanesque Revival |
| Structural System | |
| Wall Material | Sandstone |
| Architect | August Kutzbock,Samuel Huter Donnel |
| 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. THE MAP CODE IS 070914407048. The Alexander A. and Francie McDonnell-George and Carrie Pierce House, now the Mansion Hill Inn, was built in 1858 according to a design by Donnel and Kutzbock. They fashioned it in the mode of the Rundbogenstil, a round-arch style then popular in the German states, characterized by a combination of Romanesque and Renaissance motifs. The McDonnell-Pierce House features a pair of gabled wings with bay windows flanking the entrance, arched windows with prominent caps, and a fancifully bracketed octagonal belvedere. A torch motif at the cornice, arched tracery in the windows, and multiple corbel courses create an exuberant exterior. Supposedly the interiors were modeled after Donnel's designs for rooms in the old capitol. Madison Historic Landmark: 5/18/71. "The Mansion Hill Inn is a fine extant Romanesque Revival house built in 1857-58 for Alexander A. and Francie McDonnell. It was designed by the architectural partnership of Samuel Hunter Donnel and August Kutzbock. The ornate stonework closely parallels that of the second capitol in Madison, for which McDonell was the contractor in 1857-59, Donnel and Kutzbock the architects, and the same Prairie du Chien sandstone the same building material. Many of the decorative details on the house are said to be duplicates of designs used in the old state capitol building. The house may well be the finest domestic example of the German Romanesque revival remaining in the United States. Among the former residents of the house were Rebecca and J. H. Garnhart, owner of the Garnhart Reaper Works; Orasmus Cole, Wisconsin Supreme Court justice who married Garnhart's widow; and Sarah Fairchild Dean Conover (sister of Governor Fairchild), who was influential in civic, social, and political activities. During the latter half of the 19th century, the house was the scene of many elegant social events. George and Carrie Pierce used it as their residence and boarding house from 1906 to 1938. The Alexander Company converted it to a luxury hotel in 1985." Madison's Pioneer Buildings: A Downtown Walking Tour, 1987. |
| Bibliographic References | Wisconsin State Journal, 4/2/1967, section 6, p. 1. Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript. 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. |
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
| National/State Register Listing Name | Pierce, Carrie, House |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date | Oct 18, 1972 |
| State Register Listing Date | Jan 01, 1989 |
| Contributing |
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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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.
Pierce House Latticework
October 11, 1970
Detail of ornamental iron lattice-work on German Romanesque revival McDonnell/Pierce House, 215 North Pinckney Street. Built in 1857-58 for Alexander and Francie McDonnell. It was designed by Samu...
The McDonnell-Garnhart Residence
View of the front of the McDonnell-Garnhart residence, 424 North Pinckney Street. This Romanesque revival house was designed in 1857 by Samuel H. Donnell, the architect for the third Wisconsin Capi...
McDonnell-Garnhart Residence
1923
The McDonnell-Garnhart residence, 424 North Pinckney Street. This Romanesque revival house was designed in 1857 by Samuel H. Donnel, the architect for the third Wisconsin Capitol, for contractor A...
Interior Room at 424 North Pinckney Street
View of a room in the house at 424 N. Pinckney Street. Against one wall is a plush, lounging couch, a portrait on an easel, and flocked wallpaper. There is a large framed print on the wall over the...
The Porch at 424 North Pinckney Street — Pierce House
circa 1890-1899
View of the shady porch at 424 N. Pinckney Street. A table with a patterned tablecloth is at the far end. There are a few books and other objects on a table, and four chairs. This Romanesque reviv...
Garnhart House
1938
The house at 424 North Pinckney Street was built by Samuel H. Donnell in 1857-1858. Donnell was one of the architects for the former Capitol, and the house is built of the same stone as used in the...
