Jarob Ortiz comes home to Milwaukee document landmarks

Ansel Adams National Park Service Photographer, Jarob Ortiz Ortiz, was hosted by the Historic Preservation Institute of UW-Milwaukee’s School of Architecture & Urban Planning in November to photograph sites and landmarks.

As part of the visit, Jarob participated in a “meet and greet” reception on Wednesday, Nov. 15, where he presented his work at at the historic Pritzlaff Building in Milwaukee (315 N. Plankinton Ave.).

The support of Pritzlaff owner Kendall Breunig – who is passionate about Milwaukee history – and TechRender made the visit possible.

Ortiz visited his hometown of Milwaukee, WI in large part to document the Mitchell Park Conservatory domes for the Library of Congress and National Archives. He also documented other landmarks, too, including the Pritzlaff Building and the Pabst Mansion pavilion.

Ortiz is a 2013 graduate of the Milwaukee Area Technical College photography program and he graduated from Oak Creek High School in 2001.

Ortiz landed his gig at National Park Service’s Heritage Documentation Services – often called the “Ansel Adams Photographer” position because it mirrors, somewhat, the work that the famed lensman did for the Department of the Interior in the 1940s – in 2016, beating out about 4,000 other applicants.

Read more about Ortiz’s visit: "Ansel Adams photographer" Jarob Ortiz comes home to document landmarks - OnMilwaukee.com.

Preservation Post: Newburg Menswear Building, La Crosse WI

The past 133 years have brought a lot a change to the four buildings at 320-326 Pearl Street. Originally four separate structures, a series of purchases by the Newburg Menswear Company combined the buildings into the single structure that we see today. 

The buildings were originally known as the following: 

• 326 Pearl Street, historically the Gund Building, c. 1888 by Gund Brewing

• 324 Pearl Street, historically the Newburg Menswear Building, c. 1888 as residence and commercial space for Peter Newburg Company

• 322 Pearl Street, historically the Miller & Horne Building, c. 1889

• 320 Pearl Street, historically the Trane Building, c. 1889 by James A. Trane & Company. This was the beginnings of what would become The Trane Company, a global leader and innovator in Heating, Venting and Air Conditioning.

View looking south at Gund Building, 326 Pearl Street.  Circa 1892.  Courtesy of Murphy Library Special Collections, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.

View looking south at Trane Buildings 320 Pearl Street.  Circa 1892.  Courtesy of Murphy Library Special Collections, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.

View looking southwest at 324 Pearl Street.  Circa 1950s.  Courtesy of La Crosse Public Library Archives – La Crosse.

Expansion: The Gund Building

Historic photos of these four buildings show first floor wood storefronts with cast iron columns dividing the bays and recessed door alcoves. Each second floor is composed of brick broken up by double-hung windows capped by arched headers with limestone keystones and anchored by a lug stone sill. Each building a variation on the same theme. 

Circa 1896 Peter Newburg purchased the adjacent Gund Building and expanded his clothing store.  The brick party wall was removed on first floor and was replaced with a row of cast iron columns.  Sometime prior to 1921, the front of the two buildings was removed and replaced with a white terra cotta façade with what was probably a bronze storefront.  The building was again remodeled circa 1937 when the adjacent Miller and Horne Building was acquired at 322 Pearl Street.  A new Carrara Glass Storefront was installed over all three bays of the building to unify the store’s appearance.

View of 320-328 Pearl Street looking south.  Circa 1980s.  Courtesy of Murphy Library Special Collections, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse.

Expansion: The Trane Building

The final expansion occurred circa 1973 when the Newburg Menswear Company purchased the former Trane Building at 320 Pearl Street. With this purchase, the entire front façade was ‘modernized’.  A black metal slip cover was installed over the second floor, pre-cast concrete panels covered the storefront transoms and a new aluminum storefront with brown tiles was installed for the first floor storefront. 

The main entrance was moved to the center of the renovated façade.  The Newburg Menswear stayed in this location until 1986 when it closed its doors for good after 100 years in business.  After a couple years of vacancy, the building was used as a beauty school, but the school was gone by 2010 leaving most of the building vacant. Sometime around 2010 the metal slip cover was removed, revealing the once grand facades of the building.

320-328 Pearl St, photo courtesy of Marc Zettler, 2017

Historic Restoration work

A questionnaire was submitted to the WI Historical Society in early 2019 – the result was that the building’s historic status was changed to contributing in the La Crosse Commercial Historic District. Once approved, the building became eligible for State and Federal Historic Tax Credits. Architectural drawings were completed by Zettler Design Studio, LLC in late summer of 2019, construction commenced in late fall of 2019. 

Work Included

Front façade restoration of all 4 bays of the building, creation of 4 luxury apartments on second floor, roof terrace (for residents), rehabilitation of back and side facades, and “white box” preparation for a first floor commercial tenant.

Construction for Phase 1 - focusing on the exterior and new second floor apartments - was completed in November 2021! Phase 2 will be the build-out for a commercial tenant on first floor.

For more information, please reach out to Marc Zettler, of Zettler Design Studio. Marc served as Preservation Architect for the project.

The Orphan Bridge that Cobban Adopted: How It Was Lost

The year is 1912, the Titanic had sunk and some visionaries changed the Chippewa Valley forever. Logs were no longer flowing down rivers to the sawmills with the end of the Wisconsin logging industry. When the power company realized more electricity was needed, they decided to build an additional dam which would create Lake Wissota.

Moving the Orphan Cobban Bridge

This water wonderland, combined with Yellowstone Trail improvements which also began in 1912, brought tourists (and their money) in new horseless carriages to North Central Wisconsin. All great news for nearby Cobban except a new, nearly-500-feet-long pin-connected overhead truss bridge had just been placed over the Chippewa River. The bridge, deem too short for its new location, was scheduled for demolition.

But there was hope!

The community of Cobban realized a free bridge could replace their ferry over the same Chippewa River. During the winter, farmers disassembled the giant erector set of the truss bridge and moved each member 17 miles north, one-by-one via horse and sleigh. The structure was reassembled on both shores and pulled into position by a horse and cable across the river the following winter. The Cobban Bridge is now the last of this type still standing in Wisconsin.

Rehabilitation and Relocation

Over time road salt deteriorated components of the Cobban Bridge significantly. In 1996, it was closed and underwent major rehabilitation. In 2017 it was again closed to all traffic, vehicles and pedestrians. After the 2016 general election, information flowed down to the states regarding infrastructure improvements, the state adopted a new policy known as “Replace-In-Kind” in 2017.

While the total spending on bridge projects increased, this policy set spending limits on each, which channeled a way to maximize the number of bridges to be replaced. This same year, the Chippewa County Board authorized the replacement of the Cobban Bridge. The shortest and cheapest distance across the Chippewa River is where this historic bridge stands today.

Historic Registration Considerations

The Cobban Bridge is eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, but because it is not currently listed, the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Section 106 process was invoked. Consultation meetings were intended to solicit public mitigation ideas from stakeholders and the public in general. At the very first meeting, the preservation consultant suggested two commonly used mitigations:

1. Sending high quality photographs to the Library of Congress

2. Expanding the historical marker

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) was in attendance and indicated that there was precedence for allocating demolition funds to relocation. The Cobban Bridge Preservation, Inc (CBPI) concluded that the estimated demolition engineering cost would be sufficient for the project with reimbursement occurring after contractor bids validated the estimates.

By this time, CBPI had been formed with five team members: (1) the owner of a civil drafting and engineering firm , (2) the owner of a metal fabrication and welding firm, (3) a retired WisDOT bridge inspector, ((4) a retired educator as secretary and treasurer, and (5) the history-concerned founder/president.

At this first consultation meeting, we suggested relocating one span across the adjacent highway onto donated farmland to become a roadside park, as shown below.

Suggested re-location: Roadside park from donated farmland, along the adjacent highway

Relocation Procedures

Following this first meeting, dozens of bridge repurposing sites were visited in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois. CBPI further concluded the same relocation procedures from a hundred years ago could be used again today and research and experimentation ensued (video above).

Railroad track would replace multiple wood cribbing columns on the ice. And across the adjacent highway, a tow truck would replace a horse. A house moving company would move the span 1/8 mile south to its ultimate destination on the donated property. An engineering firm was engaged to evaluate and it was determined the process was technically feasible given additional strengthening.

Simultaneously, WisDOT and SHPO were preparing the Memorandum of Understanding. The final mitigations approved were only the two original ones provided by the consultant in the beginning plus making the bridge available for ownership transfer with conditions. No other stakeholders were contacted to pursue mitigation ideas.

 Diverted Flow: Running into Challenges

The ownership transfer solicitation announcement contained a new long list of insurmountable requirements. CBPI chose to propose their relocation based on the requirements as publicized from the beginning. WisDOT ultimately decided that CBPI was not qualified, did not have the expertise or experience nor sufficient independent funding. The reimbursement had changed from the new bridge’s contract award time to after its completion. The proposal was denied. WisDOT engineers concluded that the only viable relocation process was to “pick” the spans using massive cranes on land and river barges.

 In retrospect, two tragic strategic errors were made. First, there was a lack of communications among CBPI and various agencies. All other repurposed bridge projects were either a public or  public/private partnership, where there were formal arm’s-length communications among the agencies. In fact, it was a competitive proposal process that prevented CBPI from learning that a township to the north had expressed an interest in the other span.

The second strategic error was not involving media or press from the very beginning. The intention was to maintain a low profile and good relationships. In hindsight however, both decisions contributed to the ultimate project failure.

 Digitally Preserving the Bridge

With the bridge heading for demolition, a jewel in the sand arose in the form of an article in the Merrill Foto News covering the imminent demotion of the T.B. Scott Mansion. The structure had been laser-scanned for documentation. CBPI contacted Matt Jarosz, the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation. His immediate and overwhelmingly-optimistic response resulted in three of his staff members spending an entire day at the Cobban Bridge, documenting the structure with tripods and drone scanners. This work generated three dimensional computer model for public viewing.

Even though the historic Cobban Bridge could not be physically preserved, the hi-res, detailed authentic rendition of what was lost due to a short-sighted vision of history can be viewed forever by generations to come.

Chamberlin Rock: a Painful Symbol of Racism Removed from UW-Madison Campus

On August 6, the University of Wisconsin—Madison removed the former Chamberlin Rock, a more than 2-billion-year old boulder that has sat at the crest of Observatory Hill on campus since 1925.

The Wisconsin Black Student Union, in partnership with Wunk Sheek, an Native American student organization, led the effort to remove the rock. The University Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor commented, “In the midst of demands for justice following George Floyd’s murder last summer, the students wanted change on campus and they worked hard to see this through. While the decision required compromise, I’m proud of the student leaders and the collaboration it took to get here.” The removal of the rock signifies the university’s dedication to advancing social and racial justice on campus.

A crane sit ready to lift the Chamberlin Rock (UW-Madison News)

Original Newspaper with A Racial Slur | (Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Local History & Biography Articles; "The Wisconsin State  Journal"; "Madison", "Wisconsin"; "October 9, 1925"

What is Chamberlin Rock?

The rock is a rare remaining example of pre-Cambrian era glacial erratics. According to the UW-Madison News, the rock was designated as a monument on campus in 1925 in honor of Thomas Thomas Chamberlin, a renowned geologist who served as the president of the University of Wisconsin from 1887 to 1892. The plaque on the rock honoring Chamberlin has been removed and a new one will be placed on Chamberlin Hall.

Why was the Chamberlin Rock Removed?

The rock was associated with an extremely offensive terminology. On October 9, 1925, the rock was referred to in the Wisconsin State journal headline by a derogatory nickname that included a racial slur. The term was commonly used to refer to any large, dark rock at the time. The phrase fell out of common usage by the 1950s and historians have not found evidence that the term was used by the university in any capacity.

Nevertheless, the term witnessed a historical past when the KKK were present in the Madison area, where “people of color were mocked in minstrel shows at campus facilities and in campus satiric periodicals,” according to the report from YourTango.

The rock sat within catalogued burial sites, which are protected under Wisconsin’s Burial Sites Preservation Law. The university worked closely with the Wisconsin Historical Society to assure minimal disturbance to the sacred burial sites nearby. The Society approved the removal permit on August 2 after seeking inputs from various stakeholders.

The Removal of Racist Legacies

Since June 2020, historic preservation and architectural organizations nationwide have joined a movement to call for the removal of Confederate monuments from public spaces, following the death of George Floyd. Many believe that Confederate monuments are proclamations of white supremacy, thus should be abhorrent to all Americans. Some wondered, Does removing a Confederate monument mean you’re erasing history? In support of the movement, the National Trust for Historic Preservation replied:

No. History is not that fragile. History is written in our buildings, landscapes, documents, objects, oral traditions, individual memories, and many other places, as well as in monuments in public spaces. To the contrary, left standing without appropriate context, these monuments promote a false and damaging narrative. When removed, these monuments can provide an even deeper understanding of history in other venues, such as museums, that can offer fuller and more inclusive context around the people, events, and ideologies that led to the monuments’ creation, and their relationship to present-day issues.

The Robert E. Lee Statue on Monument Avenue in Richmond has become a focal point of protests against racial injustice | (John McDonnell/The Washington Post, June 10, 2020)

Following the nationwide reckoning of racial justice and equity, some higher education institutions also took actions to cut ties with their racist legacies, such as reconsidering and removing the names of campus buildings and monuments that memorialized white supremacists. For example, the University of Virginia’s statue of Revolutionary War figure Roger Clark was removed from its campus. The University of California—Berkeley removed the names of two buildings, LeConte Hall and Barrows Hall, both are affiliated with figures who held deep racist views.

UW-Madison’s removal of the Chamberlin Rock is a part of this nation-wide movement to remove Confederate monuments and to build anti-racist campus among higher education institutions.

Madison Roadhouse Legacy “The Wonder Bar” Could Still Be Saved

The Wonder Bar Steakhouse at 222 E. Olin Ave, Madison, Wisconsin, is threatened to be demolished as a result of a new development by the McGrath Property Group. The proposed new project is an 18-story, $40 million structure that would offer 291 apartments, 16,000 square feet of commercial space and five floors of parking, according to the report by the Wisconsin State Journal on July 14, 2021. Lance McGrath has shown interest in donating the over $250,000 cost of demolition toward relocation if a suitable site within close proximity could be found. The building, measured approximately 48 by 48 feet, is estimated to weigh between 800,000 to 950,000 pounds.

The Wonder Bar Steakhouse
Architecture and History Inventory, Wisconsin Historical Society

The Opening of Eddie’s Wonder Bar

The two-story brick structure was financed by Roger Touhy, an infamous prohibition-era gangster who ran the North Side Chicago Mafia and led gambling rings and other illegal activities, including brewing beer and distilling illegal spirits.

Roger’s financial success allowed him to give his brother Eddie Touhy the money to expand the business to Madison and built “Eddie’s Wonder Bar” around 1930. Eddie lived in the apartment upstairs. Three sisters, Mandie Burgin, Mamie Collier, and Ruby Farringer ran the Wonder Bar for Eddie until he sold it to Joe and Marian Kassak in 1948. The bar was then sold to Dick Whalen in 1974. During the 1970s and 1980s, the bar was a favorite watering hole of Badger athletics fans.

After a few name changes, such as “Madison Cigar Bar,” “The M.O.B. Roadhouse,” and “The Bar Next Door,” its name was changed back to “The Wonder Bar Steakhouse” in May 2009 by Dennie Jax. Jim Delaney purchased the Wonder Bar in 2017.

Unfortunately, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant was closed at the end of May this year.

Eddie’s Wonder Bar, 1983
Architecture and History Inventory, Wisconsin Historical Society

Preserving Prohibition Era History

The restaurant speaks to the important histories of the Prohibition Era. The Madison City Landmarks Commission commented that the Wonder Bar Steakhouse is a rare remaining example of Prohibition-era roadhouses.

According to restaurant historian Jan Whitaker, before the Civil War, roadside drinking and eating places on the outskirts of cities were popular destinations of people who enjoyed leisure activities outside the cities.

With the development of railroads, more rowdy crowds brought unsavory reputation to these places. For example, Minnesota legislated against roadhouses in 1915, and towns around Chicago fought them and often succeeded in having their liquor licenses taken away.

Few roadhouses survived the Prohibition Era (1920-1933), and Eddie’s Wonder Bar is one of the few that lasts till the present day. Another example is the Kegel’s Inn in Milwaukee, which opened in 1924 and was recently named as one of the Nation’s 25 Historic Small Restaurants.

History in the Network of Roadhouses

Kurt Stege, President of the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation advocacy committee, also indicated that the building was associated with “a network of roadhouses constructed at the edges of cities and operated for the purpose of distribution of illegal alcohol,” and its design conforms with what a bar looked like in the era. The building resembles a fortress castle, which also enhances its association with gang wars.

According to a draft city landmark nomination submitted by the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation in 2008, a body was buried behind a second-floor fireplace; its window glass was bulletproof; and the circular booths set in the building's towers had hidden compartments for weapon storage. Whether these interior details are true or fictional, like many roadhouses at the time, the site was affiliated with gangsters and experienced intense rivalries and police surveillance in the early years of its establishment.

Roger Touhy
The Wonder Bar Steakhouse Website

Eddie’s Legal Troubles

The same draft city landmark nomination also mentioned that Roger Touhy was sentenced to 99 years in prison at the Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet, Illinois in 1934 for the kidnapping of John Factor, the brother of cosmetics company founder Max Factor. Insisting that he was being framed, Roger escaped on December 2, 1942. In the book The Stolen Years, published in 1959, Roger shared, “My best source was my brother, Eddie. He owned a roadhouse, Eddie's Wonder Bar, near the state fairgrounds outside of Madison, Wisconsin. But getting a meeting with him was almost as tricky as getting out of Statesville.”

Eddie and his bar were under intense surveillance by the FBI. Eventually, Roger was recaptured on December 29, 1942. After 17 years in prison, he was finally paroled in November 1959, but was shot to death in the following month likely by his gangster rivals.

Modern Preservation Efforts

Unable to found a good solution, community members and preservationists still hope to save this historic bar. An online petition “Save The Wonder Bar – Madison’s Prohibition Roadhouse” to the Citizens of Madison and the City of Madison has been started, expressing opposition to demolition. McGrath’s proposal will be considered by the Plan Commission on July 26, and the City Council on August 3. The construction is intended to start in the fall. Please consider joining the group and the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation to support this petition.

More ways to help!

1. Register your opposition with the Plan Commission at https://cityofmadison.com/city-hall/committees/plan-commission/7-26-2021 Click "Register for Public Comment" Choose Item 5 and say you "oppose" it.

2. Speak for up to 3 minutes virtually at the Plan Commission. Say you support preserving the Wonder Bar. Ask Plan not to grant a demolition permit until the Landmark Commission reviews the Wonder Bar for Landmark status.

3. In addition, you can also send an email allalders@cityofmadison.com.

Having any ideas on possible sites for relocation or other related thoughts? Please contact hongyan@wipreservation.org.

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 Learn More and reference items

Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory: Eddie’s Wonder Bar

MOSIMAN, DEAN. "ROADHOUSE LEGACY SHAPED BY AREA'S COLORFUL HEYDAY WONDER BAR | A BRIEF HISTORY." Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI), ALL ed., sec. FRONT, 14 July 2021, p. A11.

MOSIMAN, DEAN. "A SLICE OF LORE AWAITS RESCUE OLD STEAKHOUSE OF THE SPEAKEASY DAYS FACING DEMOLITION MADISON HISTORY | WONDER BAR." Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI), ALL ed., sec. FRONT, 14 July 2021, p. A1.

HAMER, EMILY. "HISTORIC WONDER BAR BUILDING COULD BE MOVED." Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI), ALL ed., sec. LOCAL, 14 May 2021, p. A3.

 MOSIMAN, DEAN. "18-STORY BUILDING PROPOSED PROJECT WOULD RAZE LOCAL BARS TO CREATE HOUSING, OFFICE SPACE SOUTH SIDE | DEVELOPMENT." Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI), ALL ed., sec. FRONT, 8 Apr. 2021, p. A1.

Good News for Wisconsin Places on America’s 11 Most Endangered List

The National Trust for Historic Preservation publishes an annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places with the goal of raising awareness of these vulnerable properties around the country, which are at risk of irreparable damage or destruction.  The list has included over 300 sites since 1988 and has been highly successful at galvanizing preservation efforts.

Two Wisconsin places have made the list in recent years: Milwaukee Soldier’s Home (in 2011) and the Mitchell Park Domes (in 2016).

For more: Save the Soldiers Home

Milwaukee Soldiers Home

Milwaukee Soldiers Home—the most intact original VA campus in the nation and a National Historic Landmark District—after long years of deterioration, has experienced a dramatic turnaround.  In March of this year, six of the historic buildings, including the spectacular Old Main, have been refurbished and reopened as supportive housing for veterans at risk of homelessness.  This success was the result of collaboration between local partners and heightened publicity from the National Trust and Milwaukee Preservation Alliance.

But three other historic structures on the campus—the 1889 Chapel, 1881 Theater, and 1868 Governor’s Mansion—remain vacant and endangered. The Milwaukee Preservation Alliance received a 2020 National Trust matching grant to fund a study into viable reuse strategies for these buildings. The study will serve as a resource for the VA to develop an RFP (Request for Proposals) for the rehabilitation of these remaining treasures. This should ensure that successful reuse and preservation extends to the entire campus.

For more: Save Our Domes

Mitchell Park Domes

After its 2016 designation on the National Trust 11 Most Endangered list, Milwaukee’s Mitchell Park Domes has received an outpouring of support from the community.  The #SaveOurDomes campaign succeeded in raising awareness and it appears that demolition of the beloved Domes is off the table.  But despite that, subsequent progress toward concrete measures has been slow. Reports, studies, recommendations, and materials testing have been done and the County has committed to funding allocations for final analysis.  But the funds were not spent in 2020 and progress in 2021 has been slow.  Efforts continue to heighten public awareness and to push for definitive long-term action that will save the irreplaceable Domes.

Kegel’s Inn Named One of Nation’s 25 Historic Small Restaurants

Kegel's Inn
5901 W National Ave
West Allis, WI 53214
(414) 257-9999 | kegelsinn.com

Kegel’s Inn has been honored as one of 25 historic small restaurants in the United States. The National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express designated the restaurants as historically and culturally significant.

Each restaurant will receive $40,000 through the “Backing Historic Small Restaurants” Grant Program. Funded by American Express and administered by the National Trust, the grant will help “enhance restaurant exteriors, build new outdoor seating areas, and upgrade online business to help mitigate operating costs as they work to recover from the financial impacts of the pandemic.” 

This is good news for Kegel’s Inn, which has been serving traditional German food at the same location since 1924. The restaurant was established by John T. Kegel and his wife Anna Bevc and is still operated by the Kegel family today.  

A Soft Drink Parlor
Born in Austria in 1892, John T. Kegel immigrated to the United States in 1911. He married Anna in 1915 and in 1918 they moved to West Allis. After working at various jobs, John was ready to start his own business. He hired contractor Roy Nordstrom to build the original structure on National Avenue. John and Anna established Kegel’s Place in December 1924 as a soft drink parlor. Similar to other soft drink parlors during Prohibition the Kegel family brewed beer in the basement and surreptitiously brought in other liquor.

Figure 1: Pictured: John Kegel Open for Business in His “Soda Pop Parlor” | Source: Kegel’s Restaurant

Things went smoothly for a time as most of the neighborhood population was German and Kegel’s fit well into the local drinking culture. Plus, the beautiful leaded stained glass windows provided some concealment of the interior space.

Figure 2. Anna Kegel’s Arrest for Liquor Possession

But the good times were over when, on May 1, 1927, state agent J. Rupnik apprehended Anna Kegel for possession of non-intoxicating liquor (figure 2). With both luck and a good attorney, Kegel’s Inn was spared the fate of being shut down as so many other soft drink parlors had been. Interestingly, in the following year, Wisconsin ended its official enforcement of Prohibition, five years earlier than the Federal annulment of Prohibition.

Expansion and A New Name
Shortly before Prohibition was officially repealed in April 1933, the Kegel family took over the west half of the building and significantly renovated it, including an addition to the south. Described as the “largest tavern built since the return of beer,” the renovation was done by Milwaukee architect Mark Pfaller/ Pfaller Architectural Associates, Inc., the oldest continually operating family-owned architecture/engineering firm in Wisconsin.

German interior design artist Peter Gries hand-painted all the murals inside the restaurant. The exterior was designed in English-inspired Tudor Revival style with a Lannon stone veneer. The construction took a little over a year. The restaurant reopened on August 26, 1933, renamed “Kegel’s Inn.”

Figure 3. Murals behind the Bar by Peter Gries | Source: Kegel’s Restaurant

Historic Past, Strong Future
Kegel’s Inn was listed on both the State and National Registers of Historic Places in 2010. After nearly a century and many ups and downs along the way – including the COVID-19 pandemic – Kegel’s is going strong, retaining its original building, Gries’ delightful murals, and the famous German food and beer - including its popular Friday Fish Fry and outdoor Beer Garden. Kegel’s Inn is most deserving of its historic accolades.

Figure 4. Exterior of Kegel’s Inn after renovation
Source: Kegel’s Restaurant

Figure 5. Present Façade of Kegel’s Inn
Source: Wisconsin Historical Society

Learn more about Kegel’s Inn

American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation Announce the 25 recipients of the “Backing Historic Small Restaurants” $1+ Million Grant Program. Reference page

 Wisconsin Historical Society, Architecture and History Inventory. Reference page

 A Rich & Storied Past - Kegel's Inn. Homepage

Read more: Importance of Preservation Highlighted in Upgrade of Frank Lloyd Wright School Building

The only public grammar school designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is currently undergoing restoration in Southwest Wisconsin. The Kenosha News recently highlighted the effort to preserve not only the building, but its use as an educational facility. Read a brief summary below and the full piece here: Watch now: Frank Lloyd Wright school building getting an upgrade for more events and programming (April 19, 2021).

Work on the Wyoming Valley School | Source: Steve Apps, State Journal

Students learn in the east classroom of the Wyoming Valley School | Source: Wyoming Valley School Cultural Arts Center

The school opened in 1958 and served the River Valley School district until 1990. It has served as a Cultural Arts Center for the past 10 years and will reopen in 2022 after restoration is complete. In addition to a new roof, the chimney is being rebuilt, wooden window sashes repaired, and the foundation restored. The design includes ample natural light, exposed beams covered in mahogany, and a double-sided fireplace. More details may be viewed in the article’s embedded video.

Preservation has been shown to provide economic benefits to the area in which a historic building sits. In that spirit, nearly half of the project has been financed by a Community Development Investment grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Clearly, this is a Place That Matters.

Read the full article here.

State Bills Improved, But Still Weaken Local Preservation Laws

Two bills in the Wisconsin Legislature that would have forced opt-out provisions on local historic preservation ordinances have been amended, but they still weaken communities' ability to designate historic places, and provide long-term protection. 

Historic downtown Portage

Companion bills in the Wisconsin Senate (SB445) and Assembly (AB568) have been amended and are working their way through Committees. The original bills included an unconditional opt-out provision for property owners. Owners would have had veto power over historic designation, and over design standards in historic districts. It would have essentially dismantled local historic preservation ordinances that are designed for long-term conservation of historic buildings, structures, objects, and districts for the economic and cultural health of the whole community.

Amendments to both bills put some conditions on the opt-out provision, but still weaken the ability of communities to designate historic places when they meet community-developed criteria for historic significance, and regulate changes over the long term under conditions of changing ownership.

Here's how the bills work in their current form:

• The bills preserve the right of Counties, Cities, and Towns to have preservation ordinances, design standards for historic properties, and to establish a Historic Preservation Commission. 

• If a County, City, or Town proposes to designate a Historic District or individual Landmark they must:

  • Notify all affected property owners,

  • Provide a form to each owner, to vote for or against designation,

  • Allow 60 days for owner(s) to vote.

• Then after 60 days:

  • In the case of an individual Landmark, if the owner has not voted against designation, the County, City, or Town may proceed with designation.

  • In the case of a Historic District, if 2/3 of votes cast within the allowed 60 days are in favor of designation (1 vote per “principal structure”), then County, City, or Town may proceed with designation.  If 2/3 threshold is not reached, then the designation may not proceed.

Pinckney Street, Capitol Square, Madison

Other important provisions:

• “No” votes by property owners who have used historic tax credits would not be counted. (presumably “yes” votes by these owners would be counted. The language is silent on this. This matters in Historic Districts where 2/3 of votes cast must be in favor in order to proceed). 

• “No” votes by owners of properties listed in the National or State Registers would not be counted.

• If a historic designation is rejected by votes of the property owner(s), then the County, City, or Town must wait one year before proposing same designation.

• Once a Landmark or Historic District is designated, it may not be rescinded without the consent of the County, City, or Town. 

• Preservation easements would not be affected by the current provisions.

Representative Leon Young (D- Milwaukee) offered an amendment to AB568 that would have removed all provisions related to local preservation ordinances.  Young's amendment was voted down in the Assembly's Housing and Real Estate Committee. WTHP supported this amendment because virtually all local ordinances in Wisconsin already include "pressure-release" provisions that allow property owners to appeal decisions of Historic Preservation Commission, and seek variances from design standards in cases of economic hardship.

As these bills move from Committees to the full legislature, we will continue to support the removal of all provisions of these bills that impose unnecessary state overrides of local historic preservation ordinances. 

Local Historic Preservation ordinances - regulation of historic and cultural places through municipal powers of zoning - are important tools in many Wisconsin communities. They are embedded into local and county zoning codes, and help communities regulate their own look, feel, and functionality. That regulation goes far beyond individual property ownership that changes, on average, every seven years. There are generational marks left on Wisconsin communities that define those communities, and define a heritage worth visiting, worth investing in, and worth caring about. The longevity of those those places should rise above the privilege of short-term property ownership. 

What AB-568 Means to Wisconsin's Historic Communities

Wisconsin Assembly bill AB-568 (and a similar bill, SB445 in the Senate) contains clauses that would require owner consent before any historic property can be designated under local historic preservation ordinances. It would also make it optional for owners of historic properties to abide by design standards crafted under local historic preservation ordinances. These provisions would make local historic preservation ordinances optional.

The Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation is opposed to these provisions and has asked legislators to remove them from the bill. Here's why:

Eager Free Public Library - Evansville

Making preservation optional disables the only tool that Wisconsin communities have to protect their historic places. The federal National Register of Historic Places program provides no protection for historic places. A National Register building can be demolished with no penalty whatsoever. So, a local historic preservation ordinance is the only tool available to Wisconsin communities to determine what is important to their heritage, and how the community will protect their irreplaceable cultural assets.  It's a tool that is important to many Wisconsin communities in determining the quality of their historic residential and commercial districts. Towns like Bayfield, Cedarburg, Mineral Point, and Ephraim, need local historic designation ordinances and historic standards to maintain the character and unique quality that is at the heart of their tourism industry, their retail activity, and the quality of life in their communities. This bill would make it impossible to enforce such standards. It would place the long-term protection of community heritage in the hands of short-term owners. 

Historic Preservation is an important component of economic development. Recently, Mayors from  Bayfield, Waukesha, and Oshkosh testified against the "owner consent" provisions of the bill, saying that local historic preservation regulation is important to maintain the character and quality-of-life they've tried to cultivate for their communities. Bayfield Mayor, Larry McDonald, testified that Bayfield uses a triple bottom-line model to measure their success and quality of life. It requires that residents are taken care of, businesses are profitable, and environment (including the lakeshore heritage and historic character) is well-protected. "We have a tremendous concern," he said, "about what it would do to our economy, and we really believe it would really devalue the surrounding historic neighborhoods and buildings. We've got a brand, we've got a look."

Some of the most well-known and most visited historic districts in the nation - Charleston, Savannah, the French Quarter - are successful not because their design standards are optional, but because these cities have the power to compel adherence to design standards, and  they are diligent about enforcing their standards.

Are historic preservation regulation constitutional? Yes. Regulation of private property (including historic preservation regulations) for the purpose of beautification and redevelopment of the community falls within municipal powers of zoning, and do not violate the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment.  These powers, and historic district regulation by cities and towns, have been affirmed by the US Supreme Court in several cases (e.g. Berman v. Parker, 1954 and Penn Central v. NYC, 1978).  The "owner consent provisions of AB-568 rescind a constitutional power from Wisconsin municipalities and gives it to property owners. It's akin to making local waterfront zoning rules optional.

Historic Preservation is a long game. Owner consent provisions are short-sighted. Having historic places in your Wisconsin town is a long-term effort. Historic places, especially buildings, are dependent on their historic character to tell their stories - to be places people want to visit. But they also need to be economically viable. That means they need to be adapted to modern uses, but they need to retain their historic character. That is exactly the balance that local preservation ordinances try to strike. Property owners come and go. On average, real estate changes hands every seven years. As historic properties change hands and change uses design standards are in place to maintain their historic character over the long term, so that a town's historic shoe factory keeps looking like a shoe factory, and isn't eroded little by little over time.  If owners are allowed to opt out of local design standards, any short-term owner can opt out, demolish, and leave the community without that piece of their heritage.

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Find your state representative here. Contact them and tell them local control of historic places is important to your Wisconsin community.

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Shared risk, shared reward. Many studies of the economic impacts of historic preservation conclude that local regulation of historic districts, both commercial and residential, tends to stabilize and even increase property values in those districts. Property owners in those district have a shared interest in the health - the appearance and quality - of their district. All owners share the reward that comes with a well-regulated neighborhood. And all owners also share the risk of allowing deterioration of the character of their district.  Owners who have no interest in maintaining the character of their property bring risk to the stability and value of historic districts. 

Research Tower at SCJohnson company headquarters -Racine. Photo courtesy of Eric Allix Rogers on Flickr.

Building codes are not equivalent to historic design standards. Building codes address safety and structural standards, but not aesthetic standards. Historic buildings, sites, and districts are critically dependent on the historic integrity and character for their significance. It's what makes people want to visit them. Building codes can make a property owner repair a damaged roof, but historic design standards make the owner of historic buildings make the roof look like it did before it was damaged. Why is this important? Just imagine Frank Lloyd Wright's SCJohnson research tower in Racine with a mansard roof like a barn. It would protect the building pursuant to Racine's building code, but it would completely change the character of the historic building.

Local HP ordinances are not arbitrary, and they are not applied to every old building. Local ordinances rely on community-defined criteria that properties must meet in order to be designated. Once they are designated, they are subject to community-developed standards for maintaining their historic integrity. Also, local ordinances have pressure release clauses that allow property owners to appeal a decision of the local historic preservation commissions. They also have economic hardship causes that allow property owners to skirt the standards when compliance would impose and burdensome economic hardship.