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Property Location
| Location (Address) | 1135 S MAIN ST |
|---|---|
| County | Racine |
| City/Village | Racine |
| Township | |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Town | |
| Range | |
| Direction | |
| Section | |
| Quarter Section | |
| Quarter Quarter Section |
Property Features
| Year Built | 1851 |
|---|---|
| Additions | 1853 |
| Survey Date | 1975 |
| Historic Use | house |
| Architectural Style | Greek Revival |
| Structural System | Balloon Frame |
| Wall Material | Clapboard |
| Architect | Bradley, Lucas |
| Other Buildings On Site | |
| Demolished | No |
| Demolished Date | |
| Additional Comments | A 'site file' 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, State Historic Preservation Office. FLUTED DORIC COLUMNS SUPPORTING PEDIMENTED PORTICO. PILASTERS. HABS WI-153. O. JENNINGS LIVED HERE IN 1858. E.C. DEANE LIVED HERE IN 1893. ALSO LISTED IN THE SOUTHSIDE HISTORIC DISTRICT. South Side Historic District Walking Tour Guide, 1993: Cooley was a hardware merchant and one-time mayor. Original house on site built around 1850 by John McHenry, a grocer. In 1942 William and Amanda Kuehneman bought the house and carefully restored it. "The home at 1135 South Main is considered perhaps the best remaining example of a Greek Revival house in Wisconsin. Built sometime between 1851 and 1854 for Eli Cooley, a hardware dealer and Racine's third mayor, tradition holds that the architect was Lucas Bradley, though there is no recorded evidence of a Bradley design. A two-story main section is flanked by symmetrical one-story wings. Fine classical details include a Doric portico, wood pilasters and graceful moldings. The columns, leaded glass used in the entranceway, and marble fireplaces inside were brought to Racine by boat from factories in the East. Some distinguished Racine families have occupied the home over the years. One owner, U. S. Circuit Judge Charles Dyer, is said to have "played host under his roof to virtually every prominent personage in the area during the 1870's." A thorough and careful restoration of the home was done by the Kuehnemans in the 1940's, and the structure looks today very much as it did when it was built." Renewing Our Roots: A Guide To Racine, Wisconsin, Central City, Southside, Preservation-Racine, 1977. |
| Bibliographic References | ZIMMERMANN, RUSSELL "THE HERITAGE GUIDEBOOK" (HERITAGE BANKS 1976). Racine Landmarks brochure, 2003. Racine Southside Historic District Walking Tour, 1990. Racine Landmarks Preservation Commission, South Side Historic District Walking Tour Guide, 1993. Perrin, Richard W. E.,Historic Wisconsin Architecture, First Revised Edition (Milwaukee, 1976). Renewing Our Roots: A Guide To Racine, Wisconsin, Central City, Southside, Preservation-Racine, 1977. |
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
| National/State Register Listing Name | Southside Historic District |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date | Oct 18, 1977 |
| State Register Listing Date | Jan 01, 1989 |
| Contributing | Yes |
Architecture & History Inventory
The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.
Questions?
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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.
Access Property Records
Some properties have more materials (correspondence, clippings, historical information, etc.) not in the digital record. If a 'Site File' exists, it's noted in the 'Additional Comments' field. Contact us for an appointment to view these materials.




