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Property Record

800 UNIVERSITY AVE UW-MADISON

Historic Name:
Elvehjem, Conrad, Building
Other Name:
Chazen Museum of Art (UW#0544)
Reference Number:
79531

Property Location

Location (Address)
800 UNIVERSITY AVE UW-MADISON
County
Dane
City/Village
Madison
Township
Unincorporated community
Town
Range
Direction
Section
Quarter Section
Quarter Quarter Section

Property Features

Year Built
1968
Additions
Survey Date
1974,2022
Historic Use
Architectural Style
Structural System
Wall Material
Concrete
Architect
Harry Weese
Other Buildings On Site
Demolished
No
Demolished Date
Additional Comments
A 'site file' (Bascom Hill Historic District) 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, Division of Historic Preservation-Public History. The Elvehjem Art Center houses the University's art collection, art library, and Art History Department. It is in a Brutalist mode and was designed by Harry Weese of Chicago in the late 1960s. Named in honor of Conrad Elvehjem, U.W. biochemist and U.W. president 1962-66. The Elvehjem Art Center is contributing to the Bascom Hill Historic District, NR listed 1974, NRIS #: 74000065 A second art building, the Chazen Museum of Art, was erected next door at 750 University Avenue in 2011 (UW#0524, WHS#245706). The two buildings connect but are separate buildings. "On University Avenue next to Humanities is the Elvehjem Museum of Art, home to the University's art collection and Art History and Kohler Art Library. The museum has 24,000 square feet of exhibit space and is one of the largest college museums in the country. The permanent collection includes more than 10,000 paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, and decorative arts dating from 2300 B.C. to the present. Twelve to fourteen temporary exhibitions are presented throughout the year. The museum's first piece of exterior sculpture, William Zorach's "Mother and Child," is at the University Avenue entrance. The Elvehjem has a gift shop and Friends membership program. The museum was also designed by Harry Wesse. It was built with private funds raised by the UW Foundation and is named for Conrad A Elvehjem, the University's 13th president, a Graduate School dean, and renowned biochemist whose isolation of nicotinic acid provided a cure for human pellagra." University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Madison Tour Guide, 1988.
Bibliographic References
University of Wisconsin-Madison: Update to the Preliminary Evaluation of Buildings and Structures for Eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places, June 13, 2023. Feldman, Jim. “Buildings of the University of Wisconsin.” Madison, WI : UW Madison, Archives and Records Management Service, 2006. Originally published 1997. http://madcat.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=7134919. Accessed: February 2012. University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Madison Tour Guide, 1988. A Celebration of Architecture: Wisconsin Society of Architects Tour of Significant Architecture, 1979.

National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings

National/State Register Listing Name
Bascom Hill Historic District
National Register Listing Date
Sep 12, 1974
State Register Listing Date
Jan 01, 1989
Contributing
Yes
Additional Documentation
Jan 23, 2013
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Attribution

For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier. 

The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.

For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.

 

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Property Record
750 University Av

750 University Av

245706

Located in Madison, Dane County

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Photographs
Elvehjem Museum of Art

Elvehjem Museum of Art

1973

Exterior of Elvehjem Museum of Art on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus at 800 University Avenue. The building is sheathed with Wisconsin lannon stone, with copper roof and trim. Most of t...

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Photographs
Elvehjem Museum of Art

Elvehjem Museum of Art

1972

Interior view over Paige Court of Elvehjem Museum of Art on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus at 800 University Avenue.

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Photographs
Elvehjem Museum of Art

Elvehjem Museum of Art

1973

Interior view of the Elvehjem Museum of Art on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus at 800 University Avenue. One of the Brittingham Galleries, with paintings and sculpture placed throughout,...

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Photographs
University Square Mall

University Square Mall

August 2008

Elevated view of University Square shopping mall between West Johnson Street and University Avenue. (Demolished June 2006). Photograph taken from Witte Hall on the 8th floor. The Chazen Museum of A...

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Property Record
BASCOM HILL

BASCOM HILL

102230

Located in Madison, Dane County

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