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Summary
West Bend Downtown Historic District
West Bend, Washington County
Centered around Main Street, which parallels the Milwaukee River, West Bend’s historic downtown commercial business district is approximately four blocks long. While city commerce began in the 1850s, the district’s earliest extant building dates to the 1860s. As the city was founded based on its mid-point location between Milwaukee and Fond du Lac, the district provided not only the standard goods and services required by the growing community, but also offered a variety of lodgings for weary travelers. While commercial offerings have changed over the years, and despite modern shopping development on the outskirts of the city, the downtown district, with its restaurants, taverns, specialty shops, hardware store and restored theatre, continues to thrive.
In addition to its commercial significance, the district’s seventy buildings exhibit most of the architectural styles popular in Wisconsin between the 1860s and 1970s, including (but not limited to) Italianate, Queen Anne, German Renaissance Revival, Classical Revival, Period Revival and 1940s-1960s Contemporary examples. Furthermore, a good number of the buildings were designed by such well-known Wisconsin architects including Leigh Hunt, Roger Sutherland and Van Ryn & DeGelleke, as well as those known regionally or nationwide, such as Graven & Mayger and Louis A. Simon.
Property Details
| Criteria | Event,Architecture/Engineering |
|---|---|
| Area Of Significance | Commerce,Architecture |
| Period of Significance | 1864-1977 |
| Architectural Style | Late Victorian,Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals,Modern Movement,Other |
| Architect | Bruecker, John P.,Camann, Henry B.,Dolke, W. Fred Jr.,Graven & Mayger,Hunt, Leigh,Simon, Louis A. and Neal A. Melick,Sutherland, Roger A.,Van Ryn & De Gelleke,Velguth, Frederick |
| Resource Type | District |
| Historic Use | Business,Professional,Restaurant,Department Store,Financial Institution,Warehouse,Specialty Store,Hotel,Mortuary,City Hall,Fire Station,Public Works,Post Office,Theater,Meeting Hall |
Resources Within The Property
| Contributing Buildings | 58 |
|---|---|
| Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Contributing Objects | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Buildings | 9 |
| Non-Contributing Sites | 2 |
| Non-Contributing Structures | 3 |
| Non-Contributing Objects | 0 |
Designations
| Historic Status | Listed in the State Register |
|---|---|
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Nov 18, 2022 |
| Historic Status | Listed in the National Register |
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Mar 17, 2023 |
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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Email UsAttribution
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Roughly, Central Ave. from Depot St. to Third St.
93001166
Located in Marshfield, Wood County
Roughly bounded by E. Jefferson, N. Pine, E. Washington, E. Chestnut, N. Dodge, Commerce, Mill, and W. Chestnut Sts.
00000603
Located in Burlington, Racine County
125 N Main St
100005005
Located in West Bend, Washington County
Roughly, 71--213 S. Main St.
93000160
Located in Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac County
Portions of Pine, Cherry, E Walnut and Doty Streets, bounded by S Washington, N Madison, and N Jefferson
100003920
Located in Green Bay, Brown County
