Property Record
110 W 3RD (AKA 305 S CHESTNUT AVE)
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Purdy, Willard D., Junior High and Vocational School |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | Purdy Retirement Community |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 55481 |
| Location (Address): | 110 W 3RD (AKA 305 S CHESTNUT AVE) |
|---|---|
| County: | Wood |
| City: | Marshfield |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
| Range: | |
| Direction: | |
| Section: | |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1920 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | 1926 1927 |
| Survey Date: | 1990 |
| Historic Use: | school – elem/middle/jr high/high |
| Architectural Style: | Late Gothic Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Purdy, Willard D., Junior High and Vocational School |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | 9/8/1992 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 7/27/1992 |
| 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 Collegiate Gothic school occupies the west half of the block between Central and Chestnut Avenue and Third and Fourth streets. Three stories tall, it is marked by towers centered on each of the street elevations. The original 1920 ten bay by five bay section of the building is the north most block. The rest was added in 1927, making the total building ten bays by twenty-four bays. The windows are housed in simple openings with lintels delineated by darker brick, and simple narrow concrete sills. Original windows are paired six over six double hung wood sash topped by fixed sash three light transoms. On the north elevation the windows on the second and third stories have been boarded up. Random other windows throughout the building have received the same treatment. Projecting bays outlined with decorative concrete accent the second story. The towers project from the first floor and rise above the cornice of the rest of the building. Louvered vents accent the top of the towers. Narrow windows are located in the shaft of the tower. The main entrances are recessed in the base of the tower, and are highlighted by decorative concrete work. It is representative of the Architecture Theme of the Wisconsin Cultural Resource Management Plan as an example of Collegiate Gothic architecture. It is the only building of this style in downtown Marshfield, and retains a high degree of integrity despite the boarding of some windows. This school was constructed in response to the need for more educational facilities in Marshfield in the 1920s. Additions to McKinley High School had been completed in 1913 and 1918. In july of 1918, the city authorized borrowing $80,000 for construction of a new Junior High and Vocational School. Recommendation for acquisition of property on the corner of Third Street and Chestnut Avenue was at the same time. Construction was delayed, however, by the effects of World War I, and it was finially dedicated in November of 1920. It was dedicated to William Purdy, a soldier from Marshfield. He was killed after the completion of the war when an unexploded grenade lost its protective pin. In an effort to save his comrades, Purdy threw himself on the grenade to absorb the impact. Purdy lost his life while saving that of his patrol. In 1925, discussion of an addition to the Purdy School began, and was acted upon in 1927. The addition filled the rest of the block south to Fourth Street. Mid-State Technical Institute moved into this school in 1968. It is representative of the Education Theme of the Wisconsin Cultural Resource Management Plan as an example of a Junior High School. |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: | (A) Sanborn Insurance Maps: Marshfield, Wisconsin - 1884, 1887, 1891, 1898, 1904, 1912, 1925, 1946. (B) Marshfield City Directories. (C) Marshfield, Wisconsin, Highlights of History, 1872-1972, Marshfield, Wisconsin, 1972. (D) Marshfield News-Herald 7 June, 1972. (E) Marshfield News 4 July, 1918. Take a Walk on Main Street: Historic Walking Tours in Wisconsin's Main Street Communities, Wisconsin Main Street Program, 1998. Marshfield Walking Tour brochure, 2000. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |