Property Record
150 ROUNTREE AVE
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | John Hawkins Rountree Mansion |
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| Other Name: | UW-Platteville Chancellor's Residence |
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| Reference Number: | 17146 |
| Location (Address): | 150 ROUNTREE AVE |
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| County: | Grant |
| City: | Platteville |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1854 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1976 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Greek Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Rountree, J. H., Mansion |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 6/13/1986 |
| 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. THIS LARGE TWO-STORY HOUSE IS SITUATED ON AN EXPANSIVE WOODED ESTATE. FEATURES OF THIS RESIDENCE INCLUDE A BRICK EXTERIOR AND A SLOPING ROOF. A BRACKETED CORNICE BOARD TRIM RUNS AROUND THE ROOF LINE OF THE MAIN STRUCTURE AND AROUND THE TWO-STORY EXTENSION TO THE SOUTH. ANOTHER ONE-STORY STRUCTURE EXTENDS FROM THE SOUTHERN WING; FROM IT, EXTENDING TO THE WEST, IS YET ANOTHER ONE-STORY GABLED STRUCTURE WITH AN OPEN PORCH. WOODEN BRACKETS APPEAR IN THE GABLE ENDS, AND A WOODEN, TWO-LEVEL, BALUSTRADED PORCH SPANS ACROSS THE FACADE OF THE MAIN STRUCTURE. THIS FULL-LENGTH FRONT PORCH IS SUPPORTED BY CARVED RECTANGULAR POSTS ON WOODEN RECTANGULAR BASES. THREE CHIMNEYS, STONE LINTELS OVER THE WINDOWS AND DOOR, LONG, FLOOR-TO-CEILING WINDOWS OF 18 PANES PLACED ASYMMETRICALLY ON THE MAIN FACADE, AND LARGE TRANSOM WINDOWS OVER THE DOOR FURTHER CHARACTERIZE THIS MID-19TH CENTURY MANSION. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE: THIS STRUCTURE IS ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT TO THE COMMUNITY AS ONE OF THE EARLIEST KNOWN SURVIVING LARGE RESIDENCES IN THE CITY, AND BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN A LANDMARK FOR THE CITIZENS OF PLATTEVILLE SINCE THE EARLY PERIOD OF THE CITY'S HISTORY. IN ADDITION, THE ROUNTREE HOUSE IS ONE OF THE MORE ELABORATE EXAMPLES OF MID-19TH CENTURY BRICK ARCHITECTURE IN SOUTHWESTERN WISCONSIN. THE DWELLING HAS A PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE LASTING FROM 1854 TO 1890. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE: THIS MANSION WAS BUILT FOR MAJOR JOHN ROUNTREE IN 1854 TO REPLACE HIS ORIGINAL LOG CABIN DATING FROM 1827. THE SITE OF THE ORIGINAL CABIN CAN BE SEEN FROM THE PORCH ON THE REAR OF THE HOUSE. ROUNTREE LIVED IN THIS HOUSE UNTIL THE TIME OF HIS DEATH IN 1890. THE HOUSE WAS WILLED TO HIS DAUGHTER, MRS. LAURA ROUNTREE SMITH, WHO IN TURN, PASSED THE HOUSE TO MRS. ELLEN ROUNTREE WHITEHEAD. MRS. WHITEHEAD LEFT THE HOUSE TO THE STATE IN AUGUST OF 1935. IT WAS FIRST USED AS RENTAL HOUSING, AND RECENTLY THE STATE BEGAN USING THE HOUSE AS THE CHANCELLOR'S RESIDENCE FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-PLATTEVILLE. Covenant/Easement: In Perpetuity. Effective 2-23-2000. 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: | A. RICHARD GOODELL, INTERVIEW, 5/10/1983. B. TOM LUNDEEN, INTERVIEW, 5/10/1983. C. PLATTEVILLE JOURNAL. "GRANT COUNTY CENTENNIAL," SEPT. 1936, P. 4. Platteville Journal 3/6/1997. Platteville Journal 1/27/1998. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |