| Additional Information: | The original 1967 block of the subject municipal building (13,125 square feet) is comprised of three components: an office wing, meeting hall/auditorium, as well as a fire station. In general, the one-story, concrete block building is largely faced with brick; however, limestone accents the battered endwalls and/or corners of the facility. The primary (west) elevation features a narrow band of windows beneath the mansard-like roof line, with brick occupying the space below. To the north, and only slightly taller than the central office block, is the meeting hall, which now serves as municipal court. A pair of glass doors provides access to the building from the outside. To the south is the fire station, which is accented to both the west and east with stone-faced, battered walls. A pair of large, overhead garage doors framed by rectangular panes of glass occupies the station’s primary (south) elevation. Visible beyond the station to the east is the one-story, 1997 office wing addition (4,780 square feet), which was sensitively designed to match the building’s 1967 design. A small stone sign base topped with a modern electronic sign is located to the west of the building, adjacent to the roadway.
Established in 1838, the Town of Pleasant Prairie held their first meeting in 1842. From the late-1850s through 1889, the town rented out the basement of the Williams Congregational Church (built circa 1856, located at present-day 93rd Street and Green Bay Road, AHI#9734) to serve as their town hall. In 1889, the Town Board purchased the former church and utilized the entire building as the town hall until 1961. From 1961 to 1967, the town rented commercial space at 22nd Avenue & 91st Street, before moving into their new facility at 9915 39th Avenue. The structure was designed by the firm of Wilson-Haney of Kenosha, which was comprised of partners Francis (Frank) Wilson and Wayne Haney. As noted above, the facility included an auditorium, office space and the fire station, which included sleeping quarters for one of their full-time firefighters and his family. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Conversation with Francis Wilson, architect of the original building; Conversation with Thomas J. O'Connell, Jr., architect of the 1997 addition
Property file with various permits and correspondence, On file at the Pleasant Prairie Village Hall
“Architecture/History Survey: Reconstruct 39th Ave. (CTH EZ): 104th Ave. (STH 165) To 97th St.” WHS project number 13-0491/KN. January 2013. Traci Schnell, Heritage Research, Ltd. |
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