We're in the process of updating our website! Learn more about what that means and how you can help create history..

Go Back

5903 WINNEQUAH RD

Go To Details

Property Record

5903 WINNEQUAH RD

Historic Name:
Charles Wright and Ednah Shepard Thomas House

Other Name:

Reference Number:
24898

Cite

Download

Contact

Property Location

Location (Address)

5903 WINNEQUAH RD

County

Dane

City/Village

Monona

Township

Unincorporated community

Town

Range

Direction

Section

Quarter Section

Quarter Quarter Section

Property Features

Year Built

1931

Additions

Survey Date

1989,2018,2022

Historic Use

house

Architectural Style

International Style

Structural System

Wall Material

Stucco

Architect

Hamilton and Gwenydd Beatty

Other Buildings On Site

Demolished

No

Demolished Date

Additional Comments

The earliest International style house in Frost Woods was also the first in Wisconsin. The Wright and Ednah Thomas House, built in 1931, was designed by Beatty and Beatty in collaboration with the Thomases, both English professors. The house is a stuccoed box whose circular form of the lakeside porch is clearly influenced by Le Corbusier's work of the same period, such as the Villa Planeix of 1927. 2018 - The house was constructed in 1931 and designed by architects Hamilton Beatty and Allen Strang for Charles Wright Thomas and his wife Ednah Shepard. Beatty and Strang designed several other International style homes in Frost Woods and along Winnequah Road. The asymmetrical house rests on a poured-concrete foundation and its footprint consists of two interconnected one- and two-story cubic portions that give the building voluminous massing. It has a flat roof and no eaves. The residence is constructed of concrete blocks and exterior walls are clad in smooth white cementitious stucco. Fenestration consists of fixed-frame and one-beside-one sliding sash windows. An interior concrete chimney protrudes from the two-story portion. The exterior has no decorative features. Two garage bays are located at the exposed basement level underneath the one-story mass. The voluminous massing, lack of ornamentation, and sleek exterior finishes are character-defining features of the International style. 2022 - Resurveyed for district DOE

Bibliographic References

ARCHITECTURAL FORUM, SEPT. 1932. MONONA COMMUNITY HERALD 8/7/1996. Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript. Bill Thomas, “Wright & Ednah Thomas House Information,” June 6, 2009, Historic Blooming Grove Historical Society, Monona, Wis. Monona Landmarks Commission. City of Monona: Its Heritage and Landmarks. 2nd ed. Monona Wis.: Monona Landmarks Commission, 2011. 55.

National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings

National/State Register Listing Name

Frost Woods Historic District

National Register Listing Date

Feb 23, 2026

State Register Listing Date

Nov 14, 2025

Contributing

Yes

house International Style

Dane
County

Monona
Community

1930-1939
Decade

National and State Register Listing

Permalink
Permalink

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.

Learn More about AHI

Contact Us

Questions?

Wondering about if your property is eligible or notice some information on this property needs to be updated, reach out today!

Email Us

Review and Compliance Rehabilitation Tax Credits State Archaeologist State & National Registers of Historic Places Wisconsin Historic Preservation Database

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.

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.

Schedule Appointment

Property Record