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Property Location
Property Features
Because of the size and quality of the Ross W. Harris House and because of its exacting historical accuracy of design, it is one of the very best Tudor Revival styled houses in Madison. Harris, a construction engineer, lived here from 1925-1939.
The University Heights Historic District: A Walking Tour: "Although buildings designed in the Tudor revival style generally shared a vocabulary of architectural elements which had as their source the architecture of the Tudor period, few built in Madison would have looked at ease in sixteenth century England. One exception is this outstanding example designed by Frank Riley for consulting engineer Ross W. Harris and his wife. Riley's sophisticated historicism is clearly evident in this knowledgeable adaptation of lesser Tudor examples. By projecting the large gable roofed pavilion forward from the taller hip roofed main block and then partially siding it with good false half-timber work, Riley was able to suggest a building built over a period of time as was true of many original examples. In addition, Riley made extensive use of authentic Tudor design elements. Such features as the massive chimneys with their elaborate caps and chimney pots, the large bay windows, the multi-paned leaded casement windows used throughout, the twisted copper downspouts, and the elaborate entrance vestibule with its excellent and accurate stonework, all contribute to making this house one of the best, and certainly the most authentic, examples of its style in Madison."
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.
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