Property Record
502 S 2ND ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Dr. William F. Whyte House |
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| Reference Number: | 74676 |
| Location (Address): | 502 S 2ND ST |
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| County: | Jefferson |
| City: | Watertown |
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| Year Built: | 1885 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1986 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Gabled Ell |
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| Wall Material: | Brick |
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| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | Rear one story addition; plain rectangular windows; bracketed door hoods. This was the home of William F. Whyte between around 1885 to 1914. He was born in Scotland and came to Wisconsin with his family in 1855. He received his medical degree from Northwestern University in 1873 and interned in Chicago. From 1874 to 1914 he practiced medicine in Watertown. He was a member of the State Board of Health between 1898 to 1924 and served as its president from 1903 to 1924. In 1914 he moved to Madison, and following up on his love of history, he became a long-time curator of the State Historical Society in Madison. He wrote many articles for the Society and some of the best history of Watertown was written by Whyte. This house is significant for local history under National register criterion B because it was associated with Dr. Williams F. Whyte. Whyte was a well-trained physician of the late nineteenth century and he had a successful practice in Watertown until 1914. In this area he contributed to the development of medical services in Watertown. He also made an important contribution to medicine on the state level in his service on the State Board of Health. Even more significantly, though, was his work for the State Historical Society and the contribution he made to the promotion of Wisconsin history at the state level and for Watertown. Whyte was truly an outstanding professional in Watertown who contributed both to his vocation and his avocation. This house, because it was his home through much of his career in Watertown, is significant for its association with Whyte. This house does not meet the criteria of the NRHP for architectural significance because of its lack of integrity. |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Dictionary of Wisconsin Biography, Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1960, p. 375; Watertown City Directories, 1866-1930, WAtertown, Wisconsin Public Library. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |