Merchants Avenue Historic District
Encyclopedia
The Merchants Avenue Historic District in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
was placed on the United States National Register of Historic Places
in 1986. The district is composed of 33 mostly residential buildings within six city blocks around Merchants Avenue.
attitude toward architecture. This resulted in many different architectural styles used in the district, including Greek Revival
, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne
and Spanish Colonial. The predominate building materials used were either the locally manufactured yellow brick or wood, framed into houses with clapboard
walls and shingled roofs.
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
Fort Atkinson is a city in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the Rock River, a few miles upstream from Lake Koshkonong. In 1996, Money Magazine named Fort Atkinson "One of America's Hottest Little Boomtowns." The population was 11,621 at the 2000 census.- History :Fort...
was placed on the United States National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1986. The district is composed of 33 mostly residential buildings within six city blocks around Merchants Avenue.
History
Because of its proximity to the Main Street mercantile area, Merchants Avenue became a natural residential location for many businessmen and professionals. Home designs were influenced by the gilded ageGilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
attitude toward architecture. This resulted in many different architectural styles used in the district, including Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
and Spanish Colonial. The predominate building materials used were either the locally manufactured yellow brick or wood, framed into houses with clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
walls and shingled roofs.
Notable buildings
The buildings include:- 407 Merchants Avenue - The Hoard Historical Museum - This Gothic RevivalGothic Revival architectureThe Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
house was built in 1864. A wing was added in 1875 and in 1906 Frank Hoard doubled the size of the building and renovated it with an Arts and CraftsArts and Crafts movementArts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
motif. The Hoard family donated the building to the city in 1956 for use as a museum. Since then three major additions have been added, including the National Dairy ShrineNational Dairy ShrineThe National Dairy Shrine is an American dairying group founded in 1949 and based in Ohio. The shrine promotes the dairy industry and records its history. As of 2007, the organization had over 18,000 members from most facets of dairying...
in 1981. - 414 Foster Street - Foster House - Built for $2,000 in 1841, this Greek RevivalGreek Revival architectureThe Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
style building is Fort Atkinson's oldest frame house. The lumber used was floated down the Rock RiverRock River (Illinois)The Rock River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Illinois. It rises in southeast Wisconsin, in the Theresa Marsh near Theresa, Wisconsin in northeast Dodge County, Wisconsin approximately south of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin...
from WatertownWatertown, WisconsinWatertown is a city in Dodge and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Most of the city's population is in Jefferson County. Division Street, several blocks north of downtown, marks the county line. The population of Watertown was 21,598 at the 2000 census...
. Wooden pegs are used throughout and it has cherry cellar stairs.
See also
- Main Street Historic DistrictMain Street Historic District (Fort Atkinson)The Main Street Historic District in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The district is composed of 51 buildings on or within a block of Main Street....
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson County, Wisconsin