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Washington Avenue Historic District (Cedarburg, Wisconsin)
Encyclopedia
Washington Avenue Historic District in Cedarburg, Wisconsin
is a historic district
that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) in 1986.
Many of the buildings in this district that were built between the 1840s and the early 1900s were built out of locally mined limestone
and fieldstone
. In addition to this style, known as Vernacular architecture
, three other architectural styles were commonly used. These styles are Greek Revival architecture
, Italianate architecture
, and Queen Anne Style architecture
.
It includes the Hilgen and Wittenberg Woolen Mills and Cedarburg Mill
which are also separately NRHP-listed.
This historic district also has many Cedarburg landmarks. Many of these landmarks are marked with plaques. Some of these landmarks are listed below.
, along with the eighth graders, was moved to its current location and the elementary school
was moved to Westlawn Elementary School, the middle school
, serving sixth and seventh graders, took over The Washington and Hacker buildings as well as still controlling the Lincoln building and the gymnasium. Sixth graders where taught in the Hacker building. The seventh grade was divided into two groups. One group went to the Lincoln Building, the other went to the Washington building. Everyone shared the gymnasium. In 1973, the middle school was moved to Webster Transitional School. The Lincoln and Washington buildings were renovated in 1987. The Washington building is now the Cedarburg City Hall and the Lincoln building is now the Cedarburg Senior Center. The Hacker building is now an apartment complex.
located in the Washington Avenue Historic District. The Stagecoach Inn was built in 1853 as a stage coach stop on the road between Milwaukee, Wisconsin
and Green Bay, Wisconsin
. The inn is one of the buildings in the Washington Avenue Historic District that was built using the Vernacular
method, as it is made of locally quarried limestone. When it was first built, the inn housed a pub and guest rooms as well as having a stable and blacksmith next to it. The inn was restored in 1984.
hotel built in 1883 by John C. Kuhefuss and his father, John. The building is no longer a hotel. Instead, it houses R.J. Thirsty's Tavern and Fritz’s Barber Shop.
located in the Washington Avenue Historic District. The first Washington House was built on the same spot as the current structure is located but was somewhat smaller. the current Victorian style structure was built in 1886, of cream city brick, as a hotel and continued to be used as a hotel until the 1920s when it was then converted into offices and apartments. In 1983, the Washington House (as it was called at the time since it was no longer a hotel) was made back into a hotel, or rather a bed and breakfast.
Cedarburg, Wisconsin
Cedarburg is a city in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States with Cedar Creek running through it. The city is bordered by the Village of Grafton to the east and the Town of Cedarburg elsewhere...
is a historic district
Historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries, historic districts receive legal protection from development....
that was listed on the 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...
(NRHP) in 1986.
Many of the buildings in this district that were built between the 1840s and the early 1900s were built out of locally mined limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and fieldstone
Fieldstone
Fieldstone is a building construction material. Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally...
. In addition to this style, known as Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
, three other architectural styles were commonly used. These styles are Greek Revival architecture
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 architecture
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
, and Queen Anne Style architecture
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...
.
Cedarburg Mill
The Cedarburg Mill is a gristmill in Cedarburg, Wisconsin that is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1855 by Frederick Hilgen and William Schroeder to replace the wooden gristmill they had built in 1844. The architect and builder was Burchard Weber...
which are also separately NRHP-listed.
This historic district also has many Cedarburg landmarks. Many of these landmarks are marked with plaques. Some of these landmarks are listed below.
Lincoln and Washington Buildings
The Lincoln and Washington buildings were built to be used as public schools. The Lincoln building, built in 1894, was originally intended to serve grades one through twelve, but due to the growing population of Cedarburg, a high school was built not far from the Lincoln Building. This building was is the Washington Building which was built in 1908. The Lincoln Building then only served first through eighth graders. Later on, the first though fifth graders were moved to the Hacker Building, just across the street. In 1956, when the high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, along with the eighth graders, was moved to its current location and the elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
was moved to Westlawn Elementary School, the middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, serving sixth and seventh graders, took over The Washington and Hacker buildings as well as still controlling the Lincoln building and the gymnasium. Sixth graders where taught in the Hacker building. The seventh grade was divided into two groups. One group went to the Lincoln Building, the other went to the Washington building. Everyone shared the gymnasium. In 1973, the middle school was moved to Webster Transitional School. The Lincoln and Washington buildings were renovated in 1987. The Washington building is now the Cedarburg City Hall and the Lincoln building is now the Cedarburg Senior Center. The Hacker building is now an apartment complex.
Kuhefuss House
The Kuhefuss house was built in 1849 by the Kuhefuss family. The house originally had only two rooms and was made of only wood. In 1864, an addition, made of locally quarried limestone, was added. Five generations of the Kuhefuss family lived in the house before it was donated to the Cedarburg Cultural Center in 1989. The house was remodeled and became a museum in 1990.Stagecoach Inn
The Stagecoach Inn is a bed and breakfastBed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
located in the Washington Avenue Historic District. The Stagecoach Inn was built in 1853 as a stage coach stop on the road between Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
and Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
. The inn is one of the buildings in the Washington Avenue Historic District that was built using the Vernacular
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorize methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs and circumstances. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it...
method, as it is made of locally quarried limestone. When it was first built, the inn housed a pub and guest rooms as well as having a stable and blacksmith next to it. The inn was restored in 1984.
Union House Hotel
The Union House Hotel was a cream city brickCream City brick
Cream City brick is a cream or light yellow-colored brick made from a clay found around Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the Menomonee River Valley and on the western banks of Lake Michigan...
hotel built in 1883 by John C. Kuhefuss and his father, John. The building is no longer a hotel. Instead, it houses R.J. Thirsty's Tavern and Fritz’s Barber Shop.
Washington House Inn
The Washington House Inn (pictured) is a 34 room bed and breakfastBed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
located in the Washington Avenue Historic District. The first Washington House was built on the same spot as the current structure is located but was somewhat smaller. the current Victorian style structure was built in 1886, of cream city brick, as a hotel and continued to be used as a hotel until the 1920s when it was then converted into offices and apartments. In 1983, the Washington House (as it was called at the time since it was no longer a hotel) was made back into a hotel, or rather a bed and breakfast.