National Register of Historic Places listings in Madison, Wisconsin facts for kids

Location of Madison within Dane County and Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin, is a city full of history, and many of its important buildings, places, and even ancient sites are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This special list helps protect and celebrate places that are important to the history of the United States. Think of it like a hall of fame for historic sites!

In Dane County, where Madison is located, there are 249 places on this list. Madison itself is home to 153 of these amazing spots. Eight of these are so important that they are called National Historic Landmarks, which is an even higher level of recognition. Let's explore some of these cool historic places in Madison!

Historic Buildings and Architecture
Ancient Sites and Parks
Images for kids

Historic Buildings and Architecture

Madison has many buildings that show off different styles of architecture from the past. These buildings tell stories about how people lived and worked long ago.

University of Wisconsin Buildings

The University of Wisconsin–Madison campus has several buildings on the National Register.

Agriculture Hall

Built in 1902, the Agriculture Hall is a beautiful building designed in the Beaux-Arts style. This style often features grand, classical designs, making the building look very impressive.

North Hall

North Hall, built in 1851, is one of the oldest buildings on the University of Wisconsin campus. It's designed in the Italianate style, which was popular in the mid-1800s and often includes features like low-pitched roofs and tall, narrow windows. This building is also a National Historic Landmark!

Science Hall

The University of Wisconsin Science Hall, built in 1887, is another National Historic Landmark. It was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, known for its strong, heavy stone walls and round arches. It looks like a sturdy castle!

University of Wisconsin Armory and Gymnasium

Also known as the "Old Red Gym," this building was constructed in 1892. It's a great example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture and served as a place for military training and sports for many years. It's also a National Historic Landmark.

University of Wisconsin Dairy Barn

The University of Wisconsin Dairy Barn, built in 1897, is a unique building designed in the Normandy barn style. It even has an experimental round tower silo, which was a new idea at the time. This barn is also a National Historic Landmark.

Famous Houses and Hotels

Madison is home to many historic houses and even some old hotels.

Harold C. Bradley House

The Harold C. Bradley House, built between 1908 and 1910, is a special house designed in the Prairie School style by famous architects Louis Sullivan and George Grant Elmslie. This style is known for its horizontal lines and open spaces, blending with the flat landscapes of the Midwest. It's a National Historic Landmark.

Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House

This house, built in 1937, is a very important building designed by the world-famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It's known as the first "Usonian" house, which was Wright's idea for affordable, modern homes for average American families. This house is a National Historic Landmark and a great example of modern architecture.

Robert M. Lamp House

Another house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Robert M. Lamp House was built in 1903. It shows a mix of the Chicago School and Prairie School styles, marking a transition in Wright's work.

Old Executive Mansion

Built in 1857, the Old Executive Mansion is an Italianate style building. It once served as the home for Wisconsin's governors.

Fess Hotel

The Fess Hotel, built in 1858, is one of Madison's oldest hotels. It was remodeled in 1901, showing how buildings can change over time while still keeping their historic charm.

Belmont Hotel

The Belmont Hotel, built in 1924, is a great example of the Beaux-Arts style, similar to the Agriculture Hall. It was a grand hotel in its day.

Hotel Loraine

The Hotel Loraine, built in 1925, also features the Beaux-Arts style. These grand hotels were important gathering places in Madison's past.

Other Notable Buildings

Gates of Heaven Synagogue

Built in 1863, the Gates of Heaven Synagogue is the fourth oldest synagogue building still standing in the United States. It was designed in the Rundbogenstil style, which is a German architectural style known for its round arches. It's a very important historical and religious site.

Wisconsin State Capitol

The Wisconsin State Capitol, finished in 1917, is a stunning example of Beaux-Arts style. It's the center of Wisconsin's government and a National Historic Landmark. Its dome is one of the largest in the world!

Madison Waterworks - Nichols Station

This building, constructed in 1908, was important for providing water to the city. It shows a mix of Prairie School and Arts and Crafts styles in its design.

Ancient Sites and Parks

Madison is also home to many ancient sites, especially mounds built by Native American cultures long ago.

Camp Randall

More than just a sports stadium today, Camp Randall was a very important site during the American Civil War. It served as a training camp for Union soldiers and later as a prison camp for Confederate soldiers. It's a place with deep historical significance.

Effigy Mounds

Many places in Madison are home to ancient mounds built by Native American people, especially the Late Woodland culture. These mounds are often shaped like animals (effigies) or are conical (cone-shaped) or linear (long and straight). They were used for burials or ceremonies.

Blackhawk Country Club Mound Group

This site includes three bear-shaped mounds and one goose-shaped mound, showing the artistic and spiritual practices of the Late Woodland culture.

Edgewood College Mound Group Archeological District

This district contains one bird-shaped mound, two linear mounds, and eight conical mounds, giving us a glimpse into ancient Native American life.

Observatory Hill Mound Group

Located on the University of Wisconsin campus, this group includes bird and water spirit effigy mounds, which are very special and show the beliefs of the people who built them.

Vilas Park Mound Group

In Vilas Park, you can find a bird effigy, a linear mound, and six conical mounds, all part of a Late Woodland group. These mounds are important reminders of the first people who lived in this area.

Historic Districts

Some areas in Madison are recognized as "historic districts" because they have many important buildings or features that together tell a story about the past.

Bascom Hill Historic District

This district covers a large part of the University of Wisconsin campus, including many of its oldest and most important buildings.

Langdon Street Historic District

This area, near Lake Mendota, is known for its beautiful historic homes and buildings, many of which were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Mansion Hill Historic District

This district is famous for its grand, historic mansions, many of which were built by wealthy Madison residents in the 19th century.

Orton Park Historic District

Orton Park itself was Madison's first public park, established in 1887. The surrounding historic district includes many homes that show the architectural styles of that era.

Images for kids

Agricultural Chemistry Building
Agricultural Dean's House
Agricultural Engineering Building
Agricultural Heating Station
Agriculture Hall
American Exchange Bank
American Tobacco Company Warehouses Complex
Badger State Shoe Company
Bascom Hill Historic District
Robert M. Bashford House
Baskerville Apartment Building
Bellevue Apartment Building
Belmont Hotel
Bernard-Hoover Boathouse
Biederstaedt Grocery
Blackhawk Country Club Mound Group
James B. Bowen House
Harold C. Bradley House
Judge Arthur B. Braley House
Brittingham Park Boathouse
Charles E. Brown Indian Mounds
Burrows Park Effigy Mound and Campsite
Camp Randall
Cardinal Hotel
City Market
Bascom B. Clarke House
William Collins House
John R. Commons House
Curtis-Kittleson House
Judson C. Cutter House
Nathaniel W. Dean House
Christian Dick Block
Dowling Apartment Building
East Dayton Street Historic District
East Wilson Street Historic District
Edgewood College Mound Group Archeological District
Ernest Eggiman House
Edward C. Elliott House
Elmside Park Mounds
Richard T. Ely House
Farwell's Point Mound Group
Fess Hotel
Fire Station No. 4
First Church of Christ Scientist
Forest Hill Cemetery Mound Group
Forest Products Laboratory
Fourth Lake Ridge Historic District
Eugene A. Gilmore House
Grace Episcopal Church
Grimm Book Bindery
Halvorson Mound Group
Henry Mall Historic District
Louis Hirsig House
Holy Name Seminary
Horticulture and Agricultural Physics and Soil Science Building
Hotel Loraine
Hyer's Hotel
Jackman Building
Herbert and Katherine Jacobs First House
Jenifer-Spaight Historic District
Adolph H. Kayser House
Lake Farms Archeological District
Lamb Building
Robert M. Lamp House
Langdon Street Historic District
August Cornelius Larson House
Lathrop Hall
William T. Leitch House
William Ellery Leonard House
Lincoln School
Longfellow School
George A. Lougee House
Machinery Row
Madison Brass Works
Madison Candy Company
Madison Gas and Electric Company Powerhouse
Madison Masonic Temple
Madison Waterworks - Nichols Station
Mansion Hill Historic District
Marquette Bungalows Historic District
Timothy C. and Katherine McCarthy House
McCormick-International Harvester Company Branch House
Mendota State Hospital Mound Group
Merrill Springs Mound Group II Archeological District
Miller House
Mills Woods Mound
Simeon Mills House
Nakoma Historic District
North Hall, University of Wisconsin
Observatory Hill Mound Group
Old Executive Mansion
Old Spring Tavern
Old Synagogue (Gates of Heaven Synagogue)
Old U.S. Forest Products Laboratory
Orpheum Theater
Orton Park
Orton Park Historic District
John George Ott House
Pflaum-McWilliams Mound Group
Carrie Pierce House
Plough Inn
Quisling Towers Apartments
St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church
Sherman Avenue Historic District
Simeon Mills Historic District
Hiram Smith Hall and Annex
Spring Harbor Mound Group
State Historical Society of Wisconsin
State Office Building
Halle Steensland House
Steinle Turret Machine Company
Breese Stevens Municipal Athletic Field
Stock Pavilion
Joseph J. Stoner House
John J. Suhr House
Sunset Hills Historic District
Tenney Park-Yahara River Parkway
Thompson's Block
Thorstrand
United States Post Office and Federal Courthouse
University Heights Historic District
University Hill Farms Historic District
University of Wisconsin Armory and Gymnasium
University of Wisconsin Dairy Barn
University of Wisconsin Field House
University of Wisconsin Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Science Hall
University Presbyterian Church and Student Center
Vilas Circle Bear Effigy Mound and the Curtis Mounds
Vilas Park Mound Group
Wakeley-Giles Commercial Building
Washburn Observatory and Observatory Director's Residence
West Lawn Heights Historic District
West Madison Depot, Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway
Wiedenbeck-Dobelin Warehouse
Wingra Park Historic District
Wisconsin Memorial Hospital Historic District
Wisconsin State Capitol
Wisconsin Wagon Company Factory

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National Register of Historic Places listings in Madison, Wisconsin Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.