Property Record
341 STATE ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Wisconsin Student Association Community Pharmacy |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | Casa de Lara |
| Contributing: | No |
| Reference Number: | 75764 |
| Location (Address): | 341 STATE ST |
|---|---|
| County: | Dane |
| City: | Madison |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
| Range: | |
| Direction: | |
| Section: | |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1982 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 19972019 |
| Historic Use: | large retail building |
| Architectural Style: | Late-Modern |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Concrete |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | Yes |
| Demolished Date: | 2023 |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | State Street Historic District |
|---|---|
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | City of Madison, Wisconsin Underrepresented Communities Historic Resource Survey Report: The Wisconsin Student Association (WSA) Community Pharmacy was established in 1972 “to provide students and members of the community with a low-cost alternative to existing pharmaceutical goods and services.” The pharmacy was a pioneer in sexual health information for the LGBTQ community and has employed many LGBTQ staff. WSA Community Pharmacy took clear political and sex-positive stances in their first year in business. In 1973, the pharmacy distributed a VD Handbook and a Birth Control Handbook and closed on inauguration day 1973 in protest of this country’s Vietnam policy. The pharmacy offered free medical information and was a popular source for condoms in the 1980s and 1990s. Pharmacists at Community Pharmacy publicly promoted condom use for the prevention of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. During the AIDS crisis, staff would “try to make people feel comfortable” when shopping for condoms. The store helped people find the right condom by having a display box and by selling a variety pack. The pharmacy was among the first retail outlets to offer the new female condom in 1994. Initially, it was located in a non-extant building 511 N. Lake Street and then at 666 State Street from 1977 until 1983. In 1983, the pharmacy moved to a newly constructed Post-Modern building at 341 State Street and has been located there to the present day. The Wisconsin Student Association Community Pharmacy is locally significant to the LGBTQ community in the area of Commerce, particularly Goods and Services, from 1972 to the present. During this period, there were several resources associated with it: 511 N. Lake Street (not extant) from 1972 to 1977, 666 State Street from 1977 to 1983, and 341 State Street from 1983 to the present. Community Pharmacy’s location at 666 State Street was not included in the survey as the Community Pharmacy and its significance in the area of Commerce was more closely associated with other resources. Permit for demolition to be filed 3/17/2021. |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |