Property Record
627 MAIN ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Darlington High and Grade School |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | Darlington Community School and Gymnasium |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 72909 |
| Location (Address): | 627 MAIN ST |
|---|---|
| County: | Lafayette |
| City: | Darlington |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
| Range: | |
| Direction: | |
| Section: | |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1936 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | 1939 1998 |
| Survey Date: | 19822016 |
| Historic Use: | elementary, middle, jr.high, or high |
| Architectural Style: | Art/Streamline Moderne |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Cream Brick |
| Architect: | Max Hanisch, Sr.; Works Progress Administration-builder |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| 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 CREAM BRICK, TWO-STORY LARGE RECTANGULAR SCHOOL STRUCTURE BUILT AT A COST OF $155,000 TO ACCOMMODATE BOTH HIGH SCHOOL AND GRADE SCHOOL STUDENTS IS SITED ON A CITY LOT ACROSS MAIN STREET TO THE EAST OF THE COURTHOUSE SQUARE. CONTRUCTED WITH A FLAT SLOPING ROOF, THE BUILDING HAS A PROJECTING, CENTRALLY PLACED ENTRANCE BAY THAT HAS A RECESSED DOUBLE DOORED ENTRANCE WITH A TRANSOM ABOVE AND IS BORDERED BY A ROUNDED WALL. FLAT PROJECTING 2-STORY PIERS DEFINE THE ENTRANCE BAY AS WELL AS THE CORNERS OF THE STRUCTURE. THE TWO-STORY WINDOW MULLIONS APPEAR VISUALLY AS AN ARCADE OF PIERS ACROSS THE FACADE AND SIDE ELEVATIONS. BROWN TILE TRIM AT THE TOP OF THE ELEVATIONS, AT THE LEVEL OF THE FIRST FLOOR AND AS WINDOW DECORATION SERVES TO HIGHLIGHT THE SCHOOL STRUCTURE. A WPA DESIGNED GYMNASIUM IN CREME BRICK EXTENDS FROM THE EAST SIDE OF THE STRUCTURE. THE SCHOOL STRUCTURE IS IMPORTANT ARCHITECTURALLY BECAUSE IT IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF 1930'S SCHOOL ARCHTIECTURE AND BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN PART OF THE VISUAL LANDSCAPE IN DARLINGTON FOR MANY YEARS. A CREME BRICK GYMNASIUM STRUCTURE WITH ROUND ARCHED ROOF AND COMPOUND PIERS DOWN THE SIDE ELEVATIONS. The Gym was built in 1936 and the band room in 1939. Both were designed by Max Hanisch, Sr. Glued laminated arches provided by Unit Structures, Inc. 2017- "The Darlington School is located at 627 Main Street in the city of Darlington in Lafayette County. The school building is generally rectangular, with a one-story gym wing at the north corner. The rear of the property has a large asphalt parking lot. The front of the building is lined with small shrubs. Large, mature deciduous trees line the grassy terrace, which is separated from the building by the sidewalk. At the south side of the building is a small, fenced-in play area for the daycare that currently occupies a portion of the building. The Art Mod erne gym was constructed in 1936 by the WPA. The school was later constructed between 1938 and 1939 with funds from the Public Works Administration (PWA) and was designed by architect Max Hanisch, Sr. Both the school and gym feature Hanisch's innovative laminated beams from Peshtigo's Unit Storage Corporation. The interior of the school was rehabilitated and turned into the Darlington Municipal Building in 1998 and currently houses the city's municipal offices, the Darlington Senior Center, Dora Ritter Wellness Center, and the Darlington Day Care Center. Gym, contributing, 1936 At the northeast corner of the property is a one-story, rectangular plan gym. It faces north onto E. Harriet Street, and is attached at the west elevation to the school. The entrance is off-center and has replacement, modern glass, double doors. It has a stepped parapet roof with decorative brickwork and brown stone coping. Both the north and south elevations have decorative brick pilasters capped with brown stone. The east elevation also features a one-story, cream brick wing with a flat roof, which appears to house the locker rooms. The gym wing has both replacement, one-over-one, double-hung windows, and glass block. The interior of the gym is a large, rectangular, open area with a raised stage at the east end of the room. The roof is rounded and supported by laminated wood beams with decorative diamond on the underside. It has a drop ceiling with suspended fluorescent lights. The space is still generally used for a gym, although it appears the flooring, ceiling, and basketball equipment are modern replacements. At the east end of the gym is a raised stage with an Art Mod erne surround. The original stage has been enclosed and turned into a smaller gym room. School, contributing, 1938-1939 The school is a large, rectangular, two-story building clad in cream brick. It rests on a raised, cream brick foundation with brown stone along the water table. The roof is flat with a simple parapet and brown stone coping. The front (west) facade is generally simple, with little ornamentation. The majority of the windows on the facade are downsized, single-pane replacements, although some have been boarded up. It is unclear if this was done when the building was still used as a school. Windows have a simple brick lintel and brown stone lintel. The raised central entrance features simple brick pilasters with carved, brown stone sunbursts between. The entrance is slightly recessed with rounded corners constructed with brick headers. The entrance features replacement double glass doors and transoms, as well as a new modern name plate with a colorful sunburst pattern that reads "Darlington Municipal Building, City of Darlington- Lafayette County." The side (north and south) elevations also have central entrances with three brick pilasters with brown stone coping. Both have a raised entrance with brick and brown stone railings and modern replacement double doors. The windows at the entrances have either been replaced with glass block or covered up. The majority of the windows on the elevations are modern, single-pane replacements, and some have been downsized. A small windows on the south elevation have been bricked in. The rear (east) elevation is similar to the facade. It has a central entrance with three brick pilasters and stone coping. To the north of the original entrance is a two-story brick addition that generally matches the original design of the building. It houses the elevator that was added when the building was converted into municipal offices in 1998. The new addition also features a one-story projecting entrance with a flat roof supported by simple columns. At the southeastern corner of the rear elevation is a one-story, threesided, projecting bay window, which is part of the original kindergarten classroom. Interior In 1998 a new school was constructed for the students of Darlington and the subject property was converted into municipal offices with additional rental space. The first floor interior retains the original layout and historic details; however, the second story of the building has been altered. The first story has a central entrance hallways with an open, main staircase leading to the second story. The first story has a central hallway running north and south with classrooms on either side. The walls are both clad in decorative cream tile and white plaster. A drop ceiling with fluorescent lights was added when the building was still used as a school, probably c.1960. The floor retains the original decorative tile. The first floor also retains most of the original doors to the rooms and multi-part transom windows. A decorative blue flower motif remains on the transoms and door surrounds. Although the lockers lining the main hallway have been removed, the space has been retained and converted into a space with coathooks. The kindergarten room is currently used as a daycare and was inaccessible during the time of survey; however, it appears to retain its original layout. The second story does not retain the original layout, aside from what was the band room. This open space has been retained, including its laminated glue beams with multi-colored ornamentation. The room is currently used as a dance studio. The rest of the second floor has been remodeled extensively with a new hallway layout, modern walls, and materials. Sign, noncontributing, c. 1998 To north of the main entrance is a red, modern, triangular sign that lists the name of the building and the occupants. Garage, noncontributing, c.1998 A c.1998, one-story, two-car garage is located on the south side of the property. It has a side-gable roof and is clad in brick and in vinyl siding." -"Darlington High and Grade School", WisDOT#5245-02-02, Prepared by Mead & Hunt, (2016). 2016 - The Darlington Grade and High School was constructed between 1936 and 1939 in the Art Moderne style. The buildings include a two-story school and a one-story gymnasium. The gymnasium was constructed first in 1936 and was designed and constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). It is a one-story, rectangular plan, cream brick building with replacement windows. The interior of the building is noted for its use of decorative glue-laminated wood beams, or glue-lam, designed by architect Max Hanisch, Sr.’s firm Unit Structure Corporation. The school was constructed between 1938 and 1939 with funds from the Public Works Administration (PWA) and designed by Hanisch. The school has an irregular rectangular plan with brick walls, and a poured-concrete foundation. The roof is flat with a raised parapet on the central bay. The building displays Art Moderne influences, such as the central projecting bay with rounded corners. The walls feature two-story, smooth pilasters between windows and at the corners. The main entrance in the central bay of the front (west) facade consists of a double door with a prominent surround with custom tilework. Windows are single-pane, fixed sash replacements. An entrance on the side (north) elevation features a glass block transom two stories high. In 1936 the Darlington School District requested WPA labor and funds to construct a new gym to include a: “kitchen, Physical Director’s room, stage, showers, lockers, etc” (1). The one-story, cream brick gym was constructed as a separate building behind the original high and grade school buildings in January 1937. In 1938 the city acquired PWA funds to demolish the grade and high school buildings and construct a new joint grade and high school building on the same site. By the early 1960s the building was not large enough to support the population of both grade and high school students. In 1965 a new high school was constructed several miles south of downtown and the subject building was converted to a grade school. By the mid-1990s it no longer met the needs to the community, and a new grade school was constructed near the 1965 high school. At that time the building was converted into the Darlington Municipal Building. |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: | A. "LAFAYETTE COUNTY HISTORY," 1976, P. 88. Monroe Evening Times 11/25/1989. Wisconsin State Journal 12/15/1939, p. 7. Take a Walk on Main Street: Historic Walking Tours in Wisconsin's Main Street Communities, Wisconsin Main Street Program, 1998. Dodgeville Public School E-file, SHSW archives. (1) United States, Works Projects Administration, Office of Wisconsin State Administrator, “WPA Project Cards (Jackson - Marinette),” n.d., Project card file records, 1936-1942 (Series 1688), http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=1778. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |