Property Record
900 WISCONSIN AVE
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Graff Building |
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| Other Name: | J.C. Penny Company |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 28096 |
| Location (Address): | 900 WISCONSIN AVE |
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| County: | Grant |
| City: | Boscobel |
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| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1899 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1982 |
| Historic Use: | retail building |
| Architectural Style: | Italianate |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| National Register Listing Date: | |
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| Additional Information: | HABS WI-333. ARCHITECTURAL STATEMENT: THE GRAFF BUILDING IS A VERY FINE EXAMPLE OF EARLY TWENTIETH CENTURY COMMERICAL ARCHITECTURE, AS CONSTRUCTED IN BOSCOBEL. THE FACADE IS FAIRLY SIMPLE, WITH THE FOUR WINDOWS ON THE SECOND STORY SEGMENTALLY ARCHED AND ACCENTED BY A SOLDIER COURSE OF BRICK. A BRICK CORBEL TABLE PROVIDES A TRANSITION BETWEEN THE FACADE OF THE BUILDING AND A PRESSED METAL CORNICE. THE METAL CORNICE CONTAINS STAMPED FLORAL MOTIFS AND MODILLIONS/BRACKETS. AN ELABORATE PEDIMENT ONCE GRACED THE CORNICE. THE GRAFF BUILDING IS RESTRAINED, NICELY PROPORTIONED STRUCTURE WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT AS A REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLE OF A PERIOD OF CONSTRUCTION. HISTORICAL STATEMENT: W. J. GRAFF OPERATED A JEWELRY AND CHINA STORE IN THIS BUILDING, AND IN THE 1910S ADDED THE SALE OF FURNITURE. THE BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN 1899 AND 1904. 1992- "The fine Commercial Vernacular form Graff Building is one of Boscobel's best preserved examples of this form of design. This rectilinear plan building has a 30-toot-wide by 56-foot-deep two-story main block and a 20-foot-wide by 15-foot-deep one-story rear ell. The exterior walls of this building are made of brown brick and these walls rise up to a tall and elaborately decorated cornice that crowns the east-facing main facade and to simple sloping parapet that crowns the north-facing side elevation. The first story of the symmetrically designed east-facing main facade contains a modern full-width storefront whose configuration may follow the original one. The present storefront features a deeply recessed and centered one-light metal-framed entrance door that is surmounted by a transom light and flanked by sidelights. This entrance is flanked on both sides by large display windows set in raw metal frames. A wide fiberglass signboard spans the upper portion of the storefront and it is surmounted by an original projecting metal-covered cornice that covers the lintel. The second story is clad in brick and it is framed vertically by pilaster strips and horizontally by a five-course corbel table whose middle course features bricks arranged as a dogtooth pattern course. ·rhis story is tour-bays-wide and each bay contains a segmental-arched window opening that contains its original one-over-one-light double hung windows - the upper sash of which is also segmentally arched. These openings are also each decorated with segmental-arched heads composed of two courses ot header bricks and a small stone panel bearing the name "Graff" is placed just above the two middle openings. The facade is then terminated with a fine bracketed metal-covered cornice that has a frieze band below it that is decorated with stamped designs. The demolition of the building that was originally located adjacent to the Graft Building on the north has revealed the Graff Building's north-facing side elevation. This elevation contains just one segmentally arched window opening located towards the rear in the second story of the main block. Otherwise, this elevation is windowless and its original brick cladding has been covered over with stucco in the last ten years. Despite the alterations to its first story, this building is largely intact and is in very good condition and is considered to be a contributing resource in the district." - Prepared by Timothy F Heggland (1992). |
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| Bibliographic References: | A. SANBORN PERRIS MAP 1899, FRAME BUILDING ON SITE . B. SANBORN PERRIS MAP 1904, 1912, BRICK BUILDING ON SITE. C. NAME ON BUILDING. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |