Property Record
404 S 5TH ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Ole K. Roe House |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 5826 |
| Location (Address): | 404 S 5TH ST |
|---|---|
| County: | Dane |
| City: | Stoughton |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
| Range: | |
| Direction: | |
| Section: | |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1892 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1992 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Queen Anne |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Cream Brick |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Roe, Ole K., House |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | 9/7/1984 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 1/1/1989 |
| 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. Locally designated landmark. ROUND OR SEGMENTAL ARCHED WINDOWS THROUGH OUT. TOWER HAS BELLCAST PAVILION ROOF W/DORMERS. POLYCHROME BRICK AND STONE WORK. Roe, son of Norwegian pioneers, was one of Stoughton’s leading tobacco merchants, and later, mayor and state legislator. In 1892, he built perhaps the finest house in town. Dominating the Queen Anne composition is a square corner tower with a double-bracketed cornice, patterned shingles, pedimented dormers, and a faceted, tin-shingled dome. The original porches were equally elaborate. The one on the house’s east side retains its spindle columns and lacy pierced woodwork, but an even gaudier two-story porch on the north façade gave way to a stucco replacement sometime between 1912 and 1926. Nothing has detracted from the house’s kaleidoscopic color scheme, however. Red sandstone and brick flourishes contrast with cream-brick walls, and each window in the east-facing pavilion displays multicolored stained glass, centered on a shell motif and punctuated by glass jewels. The interior is similarly exuberant, boasting oak parquetry, cabinetry, moldings, and spindled screens, along with two marble fireplaces. This opulence reflected not just Roe’s wealth but also his importance to the community. |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: | WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL 1/1/1995. Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |