click zoom to display a high-res image
Summary
Richland Center City Auditorium
182 North Central Avenue, Richland Center, Richland County
Architect: Percy D. Bentley
Date of construction: 1912
The Richland Center City Auditorium was the first auditorium erected and operated by a Wisconsin municipality after a change in state law enabled cities to build and operate income-generating properties. In its first twelve months the auditorium held 51 meetings and events, from which the city took in a $2000 profit. The local chapter of the Federated Women¿s Clubs successfully promoted a referendum to fund its construction as part a larger social reform platform. This same group was active in women's issues statewide and had lobbied the State Legislature for a change to the state statutes permitting its construction.
The building is an example of the multipurpose municipal building. The front of the building contains the offices of city officials. A large meeting and recreation room is located on the third floor and the club room for the Women¿s Clubs is in the basement. The remainder of the building is given over to a 900 seat auditorium with a large stage, and twelve dressing rooms.
The auditorium hosted numerous and varied programs: Lyceum lectures, minstrel shows, public meetings, plays, commencement exercises, and concerts. Until the growth of movie theaters, the auditorium also showed motion pictures. Among the noted speakers who addressed the citizens of the Richland Center were William Jennings Bryant and William Howard Taft.
La Crosse architect, Percy Bentley, designed the auditorium building. Bentley is best known for his Prairie School residences in Wisconsin and Minnesota. In this example, Bentley relied on a classical vocabulary, employing a three part organization to the façade, tall pilasters capped with Ionic capitals, and a projecting cornice.
The City Auditorium building continues to be the seat of city government and is open during regular business hours and for special events.
Property Details
| Criteria | Event |
|---|---|
| Area Of Significance | Politics/Government,Social History |
| Period of Significance | 1900-1924 |
| Architectural Style | No Style Listed |
| Architect | Bentley,Percey D. |
| Resource Type | Building |
| Historic Use | Civic,City Hall,Auditorium,Meeting Hall |
Resources Within The Property
| Contributing Buildings | 1 |
|---|---|
| Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Contributing Objects | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Buildings | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Objects | 0 |
Designations
| Historic Status | Listed in the National Register |
|---|---|
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Aug 18, 1980 |
| Historic Status | Listed in the State Register |
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Jan 1, 1989 |
State & National Registers of Historic Places
The State Register and National Register recognize buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that are significant in national, state, or local history. The State Historic Preservation Office in conjunction with the National Park Service maintains the list for Wisconsin and makes the data available to the public for research and education.
Questions?
Wondering about if your property is eligible or have other questions about the registers, reach out today!
Email UsAttribution
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.
W10555 CTY HWY K
100010443
Located in Town of Elcho, Langlade County
105 N. Dickason St.
79000065
Located in Columbus, Columbia County
348 S. Main St.
79000061
Located in Fountain City, Buffalo County
1626 Wauwatosa Ave.
98000828
Located in Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County
107 West Beech Street
00000317
Located in Edgar, Marathon County
