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

A map showing where Polk County is in Wisconsin.

This article is a list of special places in Polk County, Wisconsin that are part of the National Register of Historic Places. These are buildings, sites, or objects that are important to history and are worth protecting. You can find these places all over the United States! This list helps us learn about the cool history of Polk County.

There are 14 different places and areas in Polk County that are on this special list.

Historic Places in Polk County

Cool Old Buildings to Explore

Cushing Land Agency Building

The Cushing Land Agency Building.

This building, located at 106 S. Washington St. in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, was built in 1882. It was once the office for the Cushing Land Agency, a company started in 1854 by Caleb Cushing. He was a lawyer and politician from Massachusetts who helped people buy and sell land in Polk and nearby counties. The building itself is designed in a fancy style called Queen Anne/Eastlake, and it was designed by Abraham Radcliffe.

First Baptist Church

The First Baptist Church in Osceola.

You can find this beautiful church at 201 3rd Ave. in Osceola, Wisconsin. It was built between 1908 and 1919. The church has a Neo-Gothic style, which means it looks a bit like old European cathedrals with pointed arches and tall windows. It also has some Craftsman details, which were popular at the time.

Frederic Depot

The Frederic Depot, at 210 Oak St. W in Frederic, Wisconsin, is an old train station built in 1901. Back then, trains were super important for travel and moving goods. This depot was actually built in Minneapolis, then taken apart, shipped by rail to Frederic, and put back together there!

Geiger Building - Old Polk County Courthouse

The Geiger Building, once the Polk County Courthouse.

This building at 201 Cascade St. in Osceola, Wisconsin has an interesting past. It was first built in 1875 by Veit Geiger as a saloon, a place where people could gather and drink. But from 1882 to 1898, it became the Polk County Courthouse! The basement, which used to store beer, was even turned into the county jail.

Alvah A. Heald House

The historic Alvah A. Heald House.

Located at 202 Sixth Ave. in Osceola, Wisconsin, this lovely home was built in 1879. It's designed in the Italianate style, which was popular in the late 1800s. These homes often have low-pitched roofs, wide eaves, and tall, narrow windows.

Lamar Community Center

The Lamar Community Center.

Northeast of St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, you'll find the Lamar Community Center. This building started as a one-room schoolhouse in 1905 and had a second room added in 1910. It's built in the Craftsman-style, which focuses on natural materials and handmade details. For over a century, it has been a central gathering place for the community.

John Lindstrom Round Barn

This unique barn, located at 1311 120th Ave. in Balsam Lake, Wisconsin, was built in 1913. It's special because it's round! The first floor walls are made of fieldstone, and the upper parts are wood. There's even a silo right in the middle of the barn. Round barns were sometimes built because farmers thought they were more efficient.

Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Saint Marie Railway Depot

The old Osceola train depot.

This train station at 114 Depot Rd. in Osceola, Wisconsin was built in 1916. It's made of brick and was fancier than many other train stations of its size. Today, the Osceola Historical Society has fixed it up, and they use it to teach people about the area's history.

Osceola Commercial Historic District

Buildings in the Osceola Commercial Historic District.

This isn't just one building, but a whole area! It's roughly along Cascade St., from First Ave. to Third Ave. in Osceola, Wisconsin. This district includes 17 important commercial buildings. They range from the 1875 Geiger Saloon (which we talked about earlier) to the 1879 Bank of Osceola, and even a 1947 Art Moderne gas station. It shows how the town's main street grew over many years.

Polk County Courthouse

The former Polk County Courthouse in Balsam Lake.

The old Polk County Courthouse, located on Main St. in Balsam Lake, Wisconsin, was built in 1899. It's no longer a courthouse, but it has been turned into a museum! You can explore three floors of exhibits that show what life was like long ago, including a general store, a blacksmith shop, a barbershop, and rooms showing different cultures and military history. There's even a Native American room with a wigwam.

Seven Pines Lodge

The Seven Pines Lodge.

Southeast of Lewis, Wisconsin, you'll find the Seven Pines Lodge, a rustic resort built between 1903 and 1910. It was created for Charles E. Lewis, a wheat broker from Minnesota, by a Norwegian carpenter named John "Ole" Mangseth. This lodge was even visited by Calvin Coolidge, who was a U.S. President!

St. Croix Falls Auditorium

The St. Croix Falls Auditorium.

The St. Croix Falls Auditorium at 201 N Washington St in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin was built by the city in 1917. It's designed in the Spanish Colonial style, which often features stucco walls and red tile roofs. This 400-seat auditorium was a very busy place! It hosted silent films, movies with sound, dances, school graduations, basketball games, and even held the city library and offices. Today, it's home to the Festival Theatre.

Thomas Henry Thompson House

The Thomas Henry Thompson House.

This house, located at 205 South Adams St. in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin, was built in 1882. It's another example of the Italianate style. The house belonged to Thomas Henry Thompson, who was an important shopkeeper and leader in St. Croix Falls during its early days.

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