Property Record
409 E MAIN ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | F. Baebenroth Building; The Fair Store |
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| Other Name: | H & R Block Co. |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 76314 |
| Location (Address): | 409 E MAIN ST |
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| County: | Jefferson |
| City: | Watertown |
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| Year Built: | 1867 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 19862020 |
| Historic Use: | retail building |
| Architectural Style: | Commercial Vernacular |
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| Wall Material: | Cream Brick |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Main Street Commercial Historic District |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 6/2/1989 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | This building was constructed for F. Baebenroth in 1867. It housed his business, of which little is known, here until around 1880. The building then housed a bookstore, a tailor shop, a cigar shop, a millinery store, a fancy goods store, and between 1915 and around 1925, William Gruetzmacher's Fair Store. This building has some historical interest as the location of a number of retail businesses. None are individually historically significant, but they contribute to the overall development of commerce in the Main Street Commercial Historic District. Built for L. Baebenroth to house his book store and bindery around 1867, this small two-story, four-bay commercial building is characterized mainly by a denticulated, molded and cut brick cornice. Plain rectangular windows with straight flat stone lintels are located in the three west bays of the facade while a recessed bay bordered at the top by dentil trim (probably a bricked-up door) is in the east bay. A plain projecting cornice extending across the storefront supported by brick piers and a transom window of refractive glass are historic features of the storefront. The F. Baebenroth Bookstore is a commercial vernacular building ornamented only by a raised brick cornice. Although this building is not architecturally significant, the Baebenroth building contributes to the historic architectural character of the proposed Main Street Historic District. The Baebenroth Bookstore is very similar to the adjacent buildings at 403 (65-7), 405 (65-7) and 411 (68-12) East Main St. |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Watertown City Directories, 1866-1930, Watertown Public Library. (B) Tax Records, City of Watertown, 1860-1910, Area Research Center, LIbrary, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. (C) "Revised Tariff Rates for Watertown, Wis.," National Board of Fire Underwriters, April 13, 1876, Archives Octagon House, Watertown Historical Society. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |