National Register of Historic Places listings in Portage County, Wisconsin facts for kids
Have you ever wondered about the old buildings in your town? Many of them have amazing stories! In Portage County, Wisconsin, there are 21 special places that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important parts of history and are protected so future generations can enjoy them. Let's explore some of these cool historic spots!
Contents
- Historic Gems in Portage County
- Folding Furniture Works Building
- Fox Theater
- August G. and Theresa Green House
- Hardware Mutual Insurance Companies Building
- Hotel Whiting
- J. L. Jensen House
- Christina Kuhl House
- Mathias Mitchell Public Square-Main Street Historic District
- David McMillan House
- J. H. Morgan House
- Nelson Hall
- Old Plover Methodist Church
- Pipe School
- L. A. Pomeroy House
- John Gilbert Rosholt House
- Severance-Pipe Farmstead
- Stevens Point State Normal School (Old Main)
- Temple Beth Israel
- Images for kids
Historic Gems in Portage County
Folding Furniture Works Building
This building at 1020 First Street in Stevens Point has a cool history! It was first built in 1919 by John Worzalla. He used it to make baby cribs and a special folding children's swing he invented. The first factory burned down in 1931, but John quickly rebuilt a bigger one. It had old-fashioned wooden siding and lots of windows for light. Later, it was known as the Lullabye Furniture Warehouse. Today, this historic building has been turned into apartments.
Fox Theater
The Fox Theater, located at 1116-1128 Main Street in Stevens Point, was originally called Point's Grand Opera House. It was built in 1896 and designed in a Romanesque style, which means it looks a bit like old Roman buildings with round arches. This theater was a busy place! It hosted many charity events, exciting theater shows, and even speeches by famous people like Eugene Debs and William Jennings Bryan. Imagine all the history that happened inside its walls!
August G. and Theresa Green House
You can find this beautiful home at 1501 Main Street in Stevens Point. It's a Queen Anne style house, which means it has lots of fancy details, turrets, and different textures. It was designed by J. H. Jeffers and built in 1903. August Green was an immigrant from Prussia who became a successful businessman in Stevens Point. He ran a meat market, a lumber business, and a coal business. He also invested in real estate, which means he bought and sold properties.
Hardware Mutual Insurance Companies Building
This impressive building at 1421 Strongs Avenue in Stevens Point was built in 1922. It was designed in the Classical Revival style, which looks like ancient Greek or Roman temples with columns and grand entrances. The building was made for the Hardware Mutual Fire Insurance Company and Hardware Mutual Casualty Company. It's special because it has beautiful carvings, paintings, and designs created by artists from all over the United States. Today, it houses offices for Sentry Insurance.
Hotel Whiting
The Hotel Whiting, at 1408 Strongs Avenue in Stevens Point, is a stunning building designed in the Mediterranean Revival style. This style often features red tile roofs, stucco walls, and arched windows, making it look like buildings from sunny Mediterranean countries. It was designed by Alfred Clas and first opened its doors in 1923. Inside, there was once a bar with cool murals painted by local artist John Pfiffner in 1946. These murals showed scenes from local history. Now, the building has been turned into apartments and offices.
J. L. Jensen House
Located at 1100 Brawley Street in Stevens Point, this is a very fancy Queen Anne style home. It has 2.5 stories and was designed by local architect J. H. Jeffers. It was built in 1901 for J. L. Jensen, who had owned a grocery store since 1881. The property even includes a Victorian-style playhouse and a garage. Today, you can stay in this historic home as it is now a bed and breakfast!
Christina Kuhl House
The Christina Kuhl House at 1416 Main Street in Stevens Point was built in 1886. It's a Second Empire style house, which is known for its distinctive mansard roof (a roof with four sloping sides, each becoming steeper halfway down). This house was built by a family of cabinet-makers, brewers, and developers, showing their success in the community.
Mathias Mitchell Public Square-Main Street Historic District
This historic district covers the old downtown area of Stevens Point, roughly along Main Street from Strongs Avenue to Second Street. Mathias Mitchell planned this area in 1847. He even gave the town square to the city! This square has been a farmers' market since 1870, which is a very long time! The district includes many interesting buildings from different time periods. For example, there's the Italianate Bank of Stevens Point from 1864, the Queen Anne Ossowski Saloon/Glinski Tailor building from 1890 (pictured), and the Romanesque J.O. Johnsen General Store from 1896. You can also see the Zinda Saloon from 1913, the Art Deco Shafton glassware store from 1915, and the Neoclassical Citizens National Bank from 1921. It's like walking through a timeline of architecture!
David McMillan House
The David McMillan House at 1924 Pine Street in Stevens Point is a High Victorian Gothic style home built in 1873. David McMillan moved his family from New York to Wisconsin in 1864. He ran a sawmill on the Plover River, which provided lumber for his lumber yard in Keokuk, Iowa. His sons later started their own lumber company and even founded a company town called McMillan, north of Marshfield.
J. H. Morgan House
This Greek Revival style house, located at 1308 Madison Avenue in Plover, was built in 1860 by C.J. Packard. At that time, Plover was the county seat of Portage County, meaning it was the main government center. The house might have been designed to look like similar homes back in New York, where many settlers came from.
Nelson Hall
Nelson Hall, at 1209 Fremont Street in Stevens Point, was the very first dormitory at Stevens Point Normal School (which is now the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point). It was designed in the Prairie School style, known for its strong horizontal lines and connection to the landscape. Built between 1915 and 1917, it was originally a dorm for women. It had everything they needed, including a dining hall, kitchen, parlor, recreation room, study room, and even an infirmary (a small hospital).
Old Plover Methodist Church
The Old Plover Methodist Church on Madison Avenue in Plover is the oldest church building still standing in Portage County! It was built by Presbyterians when the Greek Revival style was popular and Plover was the county seat. It originally had a square-topped steeple. In 1866, it was sold to a Methodist congregation. Today, this historic church serves as a museum, preserving its long history.
Pipe School
The Pipe School, found at the junction of Pipe Road and County Highway T in Lanark, is a fantastic example of a one-room schoolhouse. It was built in 1889 and is still very much intact. It has a foundation made of fieldstone, a balloon-frame structure (a common way to build houses with light lumber), a pressed-metal ceiling, and a tin roof. This school served students until 1960, teaching generations of children in the area.
L. A. Pomeroy House
At 203 Laconia Street in Amherst stands the L. A. Pomeroy House, a very well-preserved three-story Queen Anne home. It was designed by J.H. Jeffers and built in 1904 for L.A. Pomeroy. Mr. Pomeroy was an important person in Amherst. He helped start the International Bank, pushed for better roads on the county board, and even managed the Amherst opera house.
John Gilbert Rosholt House
The John Gilbert Rosholt House, at 237 North Main Street in Rosholt, is another beautiful Queen Anne style house. It was finished in 1906. Interestingly, a garage was added in 1908 when John bought his very first car! John Rosholt was a key figure in the development of the community. He started the sawmill and the bank, and was central to Rosholt's growth.
Severance-Pipe Farmstead
The Severance-Pipe Farmstead, located on Pipe Road just east of County Highway T in Lanark, is an incredibly well-preserved old farm. It was started by John Severance, an immigrant from New Hampshire, and later run by Thomas Pipe and his family for over 100 years! The farm includes several historic buildings:
- A farmhouse built in the 1850s, which has a balloon-framed structure and Greek Revival influences.
- A granary (where grain is stored) also from the 1850s.
- A small animal barn built around 1860.
- A dairy barn from 1880.
- A privy (outhouse) from 1880.
- A corn crib (for storing corn) from 1900.
- A garage from 1900.
It's like a living museum of farm life from long ago!
Stevens Point State Normal School (Old Main)
The building now known as "Old Main" at 2100 Main Street in Stevens Point was built in 1894. At that time, it was Wisconsin's sixth "normal school." Normal schools were colleges that trained teachers. Selby and Perkins of Chicago designed this hall in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, which is known for its heavy stone construction and round arches. The building has been added to over the years, but its historic core remains.
Temple Beth Israel
Temple Beth Israel, at 1475 Water Street in Stevens Point, was the synagogue (a place of worship) for the local Jewish community. It was built in 1905 and was used until 1986. This temple was once surrounded by a neighborhood where many Jewish families lived. Today, it serves as a museum, sharing the history of the Jewish community in Stevens Point.
Images for kids
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The Folding Furniture Works Building, now apartments.
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The historic Fox Theater in Stevens Point.
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The beautiful Queen Anne style Green House.
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The grand Hardware Mutual Insurance Companies Building.
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The elegant Hotel Whiting, built in 1923.
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The J. L. Jensen House, now a bed and breakfast.
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The Christina Kuhl House, a Second Empire style home.
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The Matthias Mitchell Public Square in Stevens Point.
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The High Victorian Gothic David McMillan House.
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The Greek Revival J. H. Morgan House in Plover.
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Nelson Hall at UW-Stevens Point.
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The Old Plover Methodist Church, now a museum.
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The well-preserved Pipe School.
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The L. A. Pomeroy House in Amherst.
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The John Gilbert Rosholt House in Rosholt.
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The historic Severance-Pipe Farmstead.
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Old Main Hall at UW-Stevens Point.
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Temple Beth Israel, now a museum.
