click zoom to display a high-res image
Property Location
Property Features
The former Ashland County Courthouse was lcoated on West 2nd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues on the north side. The elegant Chequemegon Hotel operated by Wisconsin Central Railroad was once in this site, that featured an open vista across the harbor.
Description: A second building within the district already listed on the NRHP, the 1915 Ashland County Courthouse, made of granite and designed in a severe Neo-Classical Revival style by H.W. Buemming of Milwaukee and H. Wildhagen of Ashland, is in excellent condition. It occupies an entire block and stands in an open green space back from the street's edge. Its symmetrical three-story facade features two side pavilions with coupled pilasters and pedimented second floor windows. The central facade's rhythm is marked by pilasters to between the rectangular windows. The flat hipped roofline is broken at each end by acroteria. The richly decorated interior with a grand central staircase and marble floors is intact. Woodwork was supplied by Ashland's famous Scott-Taylor Company.
Significance: The Ashland County Courthouse is a pivotal structure ranking in significance with the Old Post Office (#1). Completed in 1915, this monumental Neo-Classical Revival courthouse lends dignity to the City of Ashland. The county seal of Ashland County. Appropriately located in the core of the commercial and governmental West Second Avenue district, the building's landscaped block is the only open green space in the district and is significant as a rare example of landscape architecture in the district. The courthouse, moreover, is significant for its high artistic values and for its association with two reputable architects, H.W. Beumming of Milwaukee and H. Wildhagen of Ashland who collaborated in the design. Like the old Post Office (presently City Hall) that represented the importance of local government, the courthouse was built to signify the leading role played by Ashland in the county government. The building has already been listed on the National Register as part of a state-wide thematic county courthouse group. Stylistically the Neo-Classical courthouse design, the finest example of its type in Ashland, fits neatly within the general Classical Revival stylistic category with the Royal Theater (#3), the W.D. Kuhn Block (#4), the Northern National Bank ( ) and the Union National Bank ( ). Together these pivotal structures contribute strongly to the stylistic continuity and cohesiveness of the district in the later decades of its period of significance.
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
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.
Questions?
Wondering about if your property is eligible or notice some information on this property needs to be updated, reach out today!
Email UsAttribution
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.
515 W 2ND ST (AKA 513-515 W MAIN ST)
911
Located in Ashland, Ashland County
400 Market Street
15000457
Located in Wisconsin Rapids, Wood County
