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Summary
Muskego State Graded School
S75 W17476 Janesville Road, Muskego, Waukesha County
Architect: William J. Redden
Date of Construction: 1926 with additions in 1949, 1951, 1952, 1956
The Muskego State Graded School was built in 1926 in the rural community of Muskego in southeast Waukesha County. The two-room cube-shaped school was designed by Wisconsin architect William J. Redden and features brick cladding, decorative stone corner blocks, an arched entrance, and a hipped roof with overhanging eaves. The Muskego School provided public education to students from the kindergarten through the eighth-grade level, and was significant as the only K-8 school in the Muskego School District.
Muskego’s population rapidly expanded in the post-World War II decades and the town evolved from a rural community with 2,495 residents in 1940 into a suburban city with a population of over 8,800 in 1960. Four brick-clad additions in the Modern Movement style were constructed to the rear of the 1926 school during this time to accommodate the influx of students. The first four-room addition was built in 1949. In 1951 a combination gymnasium-auditorium was built with the donation of Muskego resident Lillian Kingston. In 1952 an addition with five classrooms was constructed to the east of the auditorium. The final addition was completed in 1956. Altogether the mid-century additions formed a cohesive rectangular unit at the rear of the 1926 original school. Enrollment at the Muskego School for the 1956-1957 school year was 1,061, making it one of the largest grade schools in Waukesha County at the time.
In 1960, Muskego voters elected for consolidation, and the Muskego School was folded into the newly formed regional Muskego-Norway School District. In 1964 the intermediate grades were removed from the school, and it was renamed Muskego Elementary School. It served as an elementary school until closing in 2017.
Property Details
| Criteria | Event |
|---|---|
| Area Of Significance | Education |
| Period of Significance | 1926-1960 |
| Architectural Style | Prairie School,Modern Movement |
| Architect | William J. Redden,John H. Flad and Associates |
| Resource Type | Building |
| Historic Use | School |
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 State Register |
|---|---|
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Aug 16, 2019 |
| Historic Status | Listed in the National Register |
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Oct 17, 2019 |
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.
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