National Register of Historic Places listings in Dunn County, Wisconsin facts for kids
Dunn County, Wisconsin, is home to several amazing places that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes buildings, parks, and even ancient mounds that are important because of their history or special design. These places are protected to make sure future generations can learn from them. There are 8 such sites in Dunn County.
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Cool Historic Places in Dunn County
Colfax Municipal Building
The Colfax Municipal Building is a cool old building located at 613 Main Street in Colfax. It was built around 1915 using local sandstone. This building was very important to the town! It used to house the police station, fire station, meeting rooms, a library, an auditorium, and even a banquet hall. Imagine all the different things that happened there!
Downsville Lodge No. 1961 I.O.O.F.
The Downsville Lodge is a two-story building made of sandstone blocks. It was built in 1908 in a style called Romanesque Revival, which means it looks a bit like old Roman buildings with rounded arches. This building was an "Odd Fellows Hall." The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) was a group that helped people in their community. This lodge was their meeting place.
Evergreen Cemetery
Evergreen Cemetery in Menomonie isn't just a burial ground; it's a historic landscape! A big lumber company called Knapp, Stout and Co. started this cemetery in 1873. It overlooks Lake Menomin and was designed with pretty curving roads and nice views. You can also find a special sculpture there from 1901 that honors soldiers who fought in the Civil War and Spanish-American War.
Menomonie Downtown Historic District
The Menomonie Downtown Historic District is a whole area in Menomonie with many historic buildings. These buildings show off different architectural styles. For example, you can see the Lucas Block from 1883, which is in the Italianate style. The First National Bank from 1888 is also Italianate.
Other buildings include the Mabel Tainter Memorial from 1889, Bowman Hall from 1897 (Richardsonian Romanesque style), and the U.S. Post Office from 1913 (Neoclassical style). There's even a Knights of Pythias Hall from 1924 in the Art Deco style. It's like a walk through time, seeing how buildings changed!
Louis Smith Tainter House
The Louis Smith Tainter House is a beautiful home built in 1890. It was built by Andrew Tainter, who was a partner in the big Knapp, Stout and Co. lumber company. He built it for his son, Louis. The house was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, known for its strong, stone look.
This house has had many lives! It was once a dormitory for women attending college. Today, it serves as offices for UW-Stout, a university in Menomonie.
Mabel Tainter Memorial Building
The Mabel Tainter Memorial Building is a very special place in Menomonie. It was finished in 1889 and designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. Andrew Tainter and his wife built this theater, library, and meeting place to honor their daughter, Mabel. Mabel loved the arts, but sadly, she passed away at a young age of 19. This building is a beautiful way to remember her and her love for the arts.
Upper Wakanda Park Mound Group
The Upper Wakanda Park Mound Group is an ancient site located in Wakanda Park. It has three oval-shaped mounds that are still visible today. Long ago, there were seventeen more mounds nearby, but they were covered by Lake Menomin in the 1950s.
When some of these mounds were studied, experts found that they were built between 1000 and 1400 CE. In one mound, a person was found cremated (meaning their body was burned) and wearing a clay mask. These mounds give us clues about the people who lived in this area many centuries ago.
