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Property Record

220 ST LAWRENCE AVE

Historic Name:
Lovejoy and Merrill-Nowlan Houses (Allen P. Lovejoy House)
Other Name:
YWCA
Reference Number:
46974

Property Location

Location (Address) 220 ST LAWRENCE AVE
County Rock
City/Village Janesville
Township
Unincorporated community
Town
Range
Direction
Section
Quarter Section
Quarter Quarter Section

Property Features

Year Built 1882
Additions C. 1904
Survey Date 1993
Historic Use house
Architectural Style Queen Anne
Structural System
Wall Material Brick
Architect James Douglas
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 house was built by Allen P. Lovejoy following his marriage to Julia Stowe in 1880. Returning to Janesville after thier honeymoon, they lived at the Myers Hotel and on Prospect Avenue while this house was being built. Lovejoy, a former carpenter, kept a watchful eye on the construction of the house. It is said that he sat on a camp stool observing the construction to ensure everything was built according to his specifications. Lovejoy became a bank director, mayor of Janesville (1881) and State Senator (1887-1889) in addition to following his manufacturing interests. Allen Lovejoy (1825-1904) was president of the Harris Machine Company, parent firm of Janesville Machine which was later sold to General Motors. After her husband's death Julia Lovejoy continued to reside here until her death in 1953. She was one of a group of local women who established the first hospital. She founded the first kindergarten in Janesville and was also active in the campaign for women's suffrage.

This house was the home of the YWCA for several years.

Contributing also to the Courthouse Hill Historic District.
Bibliographic References HISTORIC JANESVILLE, HERITAGE PRESERVATION ASSOCIATES, INC. MACDONALD AND MACK PARTNERSHIP, CITY OF JANESVILLE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, 1994. The Courthouse Hill Historic District: A Guide, Janesville Historic Commission, 1990. The Courthouse Hill Historic District: A Guide, Janesville Historic Commission, 1997.

National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings

National/State Register Listing Name Lovejoy and Merrill-Nowlan Houses
National Register Listing Date Jan 21, 1980
State Register Listing Date Jan 01, 1989
Contributing
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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.

 

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