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Property Location
Property Features
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
THIS BUILDING IS ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT TO THE COMMUNITY AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF EARLY SCHOOL ARCHITECUTRE IN THE COMMUNITY. THIS SCHOOL AND THE ADJACENT STRUCTURE, ALSO A FORMER SCHOOL, FORMS AN ARCHITECTURAL COMPLEX FRON 19TH CENTURY AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY PLATTEVILLE. IN ADDITION, IT IS A VISUAL LANDMARK OCCUPYING A PROMINENT SITE ON EAST MAIN STREET.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE:
THIS BUILDING, NOW THE ROLLO JAMISON MUSEUM, WAS BUILT IN 1905 AS A HIGH SCHOOL. IT WAS RENAMED AFTER HANMER ROBBINS AS A MIDDLLE SCHOOL IN 1919, WHEN A NEW HIGH SCHOOL WAS BUILT. IT BECAME THE ROLLO JAMISON MUSEUM IN 1981 FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION OF THE JAMISON COLLECTION TO THE CITY IN 1980. (SEE BIB. REF. D).
"Designed by Henry Kleinhammer in a Richardsonian Romanesque style, Platteville's first High School was built in 1905 and the first classes were held in 1906. Soon a larger high school was built so by 1919 it was the Hammer Robbins grade school. In 1980, the city of Platteville acquired the building and the Rollo Jamison collection and in 1981, the Rollo Jamison Museum opened to the public."
-"Discover Platteville: A Walking Guide to the Historic Downtown", pamphlet by the Platteville Main Street Program (www.plattevillemainstreet.com).
The museum complex contains the former Platteville High School, also known as Hanmer Robbins School (AHI #4626, completed in 1906); the Rock School (AHI #46277, built between 1858 and 1863); and a headframe structure (AHI #241656) and a depot building serving as the entrance to the former Bevans lead mine (AHI #241659), both constructed in 1976.
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
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.
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