Program Partners: AIA Wisconsin, Charles Quagliana Architect and the Monona Terrace

Place, Urbanism and Spatial Justice

The relationship between injustice and physical development | October 3, 2024

Paul D. Bauknight Jr. is the founder and president of the Center for Transformative Urban Design, an inter-disciplinary design justice studio dedicated to inclusive and equitable development of cities, neighborhoods and towns through knowledge building, policy change, diversification of design professions and equity in real estate development. Bauknight will delve into the history of land as a tool for injustice, and explore the concept and application of spatial justice to make cities and communities just places for everyone.

Dudgeon-Monroe East Specialty Tour | September 15, 2024

Trails, Rails, and Automobiles

Monroe Street runs through this vibrant near-westside neighbor. Discover how changing modes of transportation influenced the development of this streetcar suburb that includes a forgotten Frank Lloyd Wright house, Storybook houses inspired by 1920s Hollywood, and early 20th-century Prairie School style homes, as well as a 1905 Queen Anne and a 1959 split-level. Commercial buildings on Monroe Street where early neighbors once banked, bought food and household necessities, and had their prescriptions filled are highlighted on the tour.

2024 Historic Preservation Awards | May 22, 2024

The Madison Trust honored eight award recipients at The Madison Club during our Historic Preservation Awards. Guests enjoyed a variety of hors d’oeuvres and drinks during the social hour where they could view photographs by award recipient Eric Baillies. A celebration of our 50th anniversary was had with cake before guests heard about the people and projects honored during our award ceremony.

Program Partners: Wisconsin Women’s Network, TEMPO Madison and Wisconsin Women’s Council

*SPECIAL LANDMARK NOMINATION PROGRAM*

Kathryn Clarenbach, A Force in the Modern Women’s Movement: A cursory review of a remarkable woman’s career | March 28, 2024

Kathryn “Kay” Clarenbach was a principal leader in the development of the second wave of the feminist or modern women’s movement in Wisconsin and the United States. She worked as a university instructor, a civic volunteer, and as the mother of three children. She often worked from home – writing and planning activities for state and national women’s organizations and efforts.

Over the years, Clarenbach helped plan and organize several causes and groups: National Organization for Women (NOW) to lobby for changes in Federal laws; The National Women's Political Caucus to train and elect women to political offices; Marital property and divorce reform; Women’s Studies program at the University of Wisconsin; National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, 1975; National Women's Conference Committee, 1977; Wisconsin Women’s Network, coalition of over 100 Wisconsin organizations that advance women’s rights; Wisconsin Women's Council to continue the work of the former Status of Women’s Commission.

In her career, Clarenbach gave hundreds of talks, provided media commentary, and published works to improve the lives of women and girls throughout Wisconsin and the United States.

Under contract with the Madison Trust, Gary Tipler prepared the Landmark Nomination for the Kathryn Clarenbach Family Residence at 2229 Eton Ridge, Madison. Tipler has conducted research, developed histories, designed new buildings, planned renovations of historic buildings, and advocated historic preservation in Madison and over 30 communities throughout the Midwest.

Designing Madison's Future: 85+ years (and counting)

Past | Present | Future: Part 3 of our virtual Architectural Series | March 13, 2024

Since its inception in 1935, Strang has helped shape Madison through forward-thinking architectural design. As one of the midwestern pioneers of the now-historic International Style, Strang established a future-focused culture, centered around the integration of building systems into architectural machines. As styles changed throughout the century, prominent Mid-Century and Modernist public buildings by the firm continued that tradition by highlighting and integrating the latest in architectural technologies and design thinking. This session explored the legacy of Strang's impact on the Madison community through a historical lens, using virtual recreations of prominent local buildings to showcase projects that were cutting-edge in their time. Drew Martin shared a variety of the firm’s International Style residences in Monona and Madison, Mid-Century Modern public buildings, and some recent projects that are currently shaping the future of the East Washington Corridor.

Drew Martin is an Architect and the Director of Design Visualization at Strang, Inc. Drew is fascinated by the power of virtual reality and visualization tools to communicate complex ideas in ways that can be understood intuitively. He believes that virtual models help us communicate about architecture in increasingly accessible ways, and they help us all expand our understanding of the built environment, both historical and contemporary. Drew was also the lead architectural designer for the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra's new home, currently under construction on East Washington Avenue.

Past and Future: Plans for Lake Monona's Waterfront

Past | Present | Future: Part 2 of our virtual Architectural Series | February 22, 2024

John Nolen's 1911 "Madison: A Model City" and "Voices of the Lake" Sasaki's 2023 Master Plan

In 1909, a group of 300 Madisonians met to consider commissioning a comprehensive plan that would guide the future growth and development of Wisconsin’s capitol city. By a unanimous vote, John Nolen, a landscape architect based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and one of America’s leading town planning and civic design professionals, was hired to prepare the plan. That plan, “Madison: A Model City”, included Nolen’s vision of connecting the Capitol to the lake. Though Nolen’s plan was never fully realized, over the years it has remained an inspiration for development of Lake Monona’s waterfront. Now, a new major planning initiative, sponsored by the City of Madison and Friends of Nolen Waterfront, is again drawing Madison’s attention to its downtown lakefront. “Voices of the Lake” is a new master plan for the Lake Monona waterfront, introduced to the public by a design team at Sasaki Associates, Denver office, in 2023. This presentation will focus on John Nolen’s 1911 model city plan and then look at how new voices and ideas have informed the current plan to re-envision the future of Madison’s signature lakefront park.

Anna Cawrse, ASLA, PLA, is a landscape architect and Director of Sasaki’s office in Denver, Colorado where she works on and manages complex built projects and master plans across North America -- from large regional parks to small pocket parks within the urban fabric of cities. Anna holds a master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design and led the design team in the planning process that led to the selection of Sasaki’s proposal for the Lake Monona waterfront master plan, “Voices of the Lake.”

Lynn Bjorkman has worked as a historic preservation planner for the past 30 years, both for municipal government and the National Park Service in Michigan and Nebraska. She has a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan. Now retired, she maintains an active interest in urban design and planning history. A resident of Madison for the past 25 years, Lynn has served as President of the Madison Trust’s Board of Trustees and is now the Madison Trust’s Vice President.

Discovering Historic Preservation, and More

Past | Present | Future: Part 1 of our virtual Architectural Series | January 10, 2024

Madison was a very different place in the 60’s & 70’s. Even this small ideal city was buffeted by national trends of flight to the edges and deteriorating older neighborhoods. Urban renewal, a rapidly growing UW campus, turned neighborhoods into student slums and large vacant lots. Banks financed new projects on the fringe and not the core of the City, and an expanding freeway system made it easier to get to that fringe. Vietnam turned the UW campus into a war zone. Madison residents realized they were losing their community that had been featured as an ideal city on the cover of Life Magazine in the late ‘40’s. Action was needed. Action was taken with failures and successes. Into this melee, Arlan Kay, newly graduated from the Architecture program at Iowa State University (1966), came to Madison with his very pregnant wife Lori, to find work and raise a family. From his point of view we will explore what happened and the early years of the Madison Trust and many other organizations and individuals that discovered historic preservation, and more.  

Arlan Kay, FAIA, worked for a number of Madison firms, working primarily on new schools, churches and medical buildings. Inspired by local community advocates to reverse the loss of historic buildings he started to participate. In 1972, he dove into neighborhood projects as a reluctant volunteer which led to establishment of the Design Coalition, a nonprofit Community Design Center dedicated to advocacy and neighborhood preservation and enhancement. This was followed by his own practice which specialized in existing and historic buildings. In “retirement,” he continues to advocate for historic preservation, livable communities and educational opportunities for our youth. He was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects for his “Service to Society through volunteer work, public service and alternative career.”

Hillside Theatre Tour & Reception

2023 Member Appreciation Event | October 12, 2023

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation hosted members of the Madison Trust for a behind the scenes look at the recent preservation of the historic Hillside Theatre at Frank Lloyd Wright’s home, Taliesin. The Hillside Theatre is a part of a larger complex on the Taliesin property that was the center of life for Wright’s Fellowship. The drafting studio, dining room, kitchen, assembly hall, and theatre make up the Hillside complex, which was originally the Hillside Home School – a progressive education center run by Wright’s aunts. Hillside, like every building at Taliesin, is nestled into a rolling hill, surrounded by the beautiful natural and agricultural landscapes that inspired Wright’s works.

West Rail Corridor Specialty Tour | September 17, 2023

In the 19th century, the West Rail Corridor, the area around the Milwaukee Road Depot on West Washington Avenue, was a hotbed of businesses that depended on the railroad to transport raw materials and finished products, as well as businesses that served railroad passengers and workers. This area, birthplace of a number of long-term Madison businesses, now abounds with repurposed historic buildings that are home to offices, renters and condo owners. Following the walking tour, the Center for Railroad Photography & Art hosted an art display featuring images from its collection of Madison railroading in the Local Motive railcar.

2023 Historic Preservation Awards | May 17, 2023

The Madison Trust honored six award recipients at Dejope Residence Hall in the Lake Mendota Room on the UW-Madison campus at our Historic Preservation Awards. Guests enjoyed a special tour of Dejope Hall by Architect Drew Kemp-Baird of Engberg Anderson Architects where they learned about the connection to Native American heritage in this area that was incorporated into many more parts of Dejope Residence Hall than just the building name. UW-Madison catering provided lovely appetizers before guests heard about the people and projects honored during our award ceremony.

Art Deco: The True International Style | APRIL 19, 2023

Art Deco was the true modern international style of the era between the two world wars. While most histories still try to argue that the mainline of the history of modernism is the history of avant grade designers like Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius, in fact their work was just a speck on the horizon compared to structures like Rockefeller Center in New York City, Hoover Dam near Las Vegas or Marine Drive in Bombay. Moving from a zig zag aesthetic in the 1920s to a more streamlined mode in the 1930s the Art Deco (actually the name only arrived in the 1960s) could be seen in everything from toasters and bicycles to suburban houses and the soaring set back towers of American city centers.

Robert Bruegmann is an historian and critic of the built environment. He received his PhD in art history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1976 and since 1979 has been at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he is currently Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Art History, Architecture and Urban Planning. He has also taught at the Philadelphia College of Art, MIT and Columbia University. His main areas of research are in the history of architecture, urban planning, landscape and historic preservation. 

THE “MAUTZ PAINT BUILDING” ADAPTIVE REUSE PROJECT | March 23, 2023

Industrial | Commercial: Part 4 of our Virtual Architectural Series

Madison’s East Washington corridor has long-been known for its industrial nature as the “factory district.” The “Mautz Paint Building” (originally the Kleuter wholesale grocery warehouse) on East Washington and Paterson was touted as “one of the finest examples of architecture in Madison” according to the local papers when it was designed and built in 1915 by Alvan Small. After sitting vacant for many years, its life was in question. Then in 2016, the development team along with Insite Consulting Architects (ICA) began the process for its adaptive reuse into a boutique hotel, The Indigo Hotel Madison.

Stephen Mar-Pohl is the President and founding Principal at InSite. Steve has used his 30+ years’ experience in architecture to fine-tune his focus on historic preservation, restoration, and construction technology. He has worked with fellow historic preservation professionals around the world to further his knowledge of the materials and practices utilized to combat the common issues we all face such as the effect of climate change on our built environment (historic and contemporary). The buildings Steve has worked on across the nation span the 18th to 21st centuries and represent the work of prominent American architects Daniel Burnham, Frank Lloyd Wright, Bertram Goodhue, Eliel and Eero Saarinen and many others. Prominent Madison projects include the adaptive reuse of the former Mautz Paint building - transforming it into the Hotel Indigo Madison, the rehabilitation of the Madison Municipal Building, and the award-winning restoration of the Gates of Heaven in James Madison park. Currently, Steve and his team are currently working on projects at the Wisconsin State Capitol, the Wisconsin Historical Society Headquarters, The Great Dane Brewpub (Fess Hotel) and the Red Gym on the UW campus.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU SHOP: CONSUMERISM AND THE 1930S STOREFRONT | February 23, 2023

Industrial | Commercial: Part 3 of our Virtual Architectural Series

The dramatic and visually stunning change in Art Deco storefront design reflects radical changes in the marketing of consumer goods in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Structural glass storefronts of the 1930s reveal a complex architectural program intended to promote consumption using the aesthetic qualities of modernism as a vehicle for new psychological theories of consumer marketing. These “consumption engineers” discovered that they could trigger an urge to purchase goods by the careful manipulation of external stimuli including the architectural design of the store. Learn the psychological theories that radically changed storefront design in the 1930s, and discover how they still manipulate the way you shop today.

As an architectural historian, who retired after 31 years at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Jim Draeger celebrates the importance of ordinary buildings to our daily lives through his research, writing, lectures and documentaries.

THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF MADISON’S RAILROADS | January 24, 2023

Industrial | Commercial: Part 2 of our Virtual Architectural Series

Railroads played a tremendous role in building Madison and south-central Wisconsin, and they continue to play a critical role in the regional economy. At their zenith, nine different railroad lines radiated out of Madison. Seven of those routes remain in service today, although only four of them still extend to their original destinations. This presentation looks at how they came to be, how they have been used, and how and why they have changed over the past 165 years. Illustrations come from the Wisconsin Historical Society and the archives of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art, including the collection of founder John Gruber, who grew up in Prairie du Sac and lived in Madison.

Scott Lothes, of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art, serves as the president, executive director and editor of its quarterly journal, Railroad Heritage. His writing and photographs appear frequently in Trains, Classic Trains, Railfan & Railroad, and other magazines and newspapers, and he has contributed to seven different books of railroad photography.

PRESERVING BUILDINGS AND TELLING STORIES AT A DANE COUNTY DAIRY FACTORY | November 16, 2022

Industrial | Commercial: Part 1 of our Virtual Architectural Series

In the spring of 2021, Nic Mink and his wife, Danika Laine, decided to purchase and restore a former dairy factory in Paoli, Wisconsin. The dairy factory has been in the process of its rehabilitation and rebirth as a concept called the Seven Acre Dairy Company. This concept honors the building's history while looking to create a future where the building and its stories are preserved. Nic discussed what he learned in the process of buying the building, getting it on the National and State Registers, and reimagining it for a new audience.

Nicolaas Mink earned his B.A. and PhD in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was a co-founder of the Indy Food Council, CEO and co-founder of Sitka Salmon Shares, a member of Ernie Mellor’s 2005 prize-winning BBQ team at the World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest in Memphis, and one of America’s top Food Artisans, as named by Food and Wine magazine. He’s also a part-time Instructor of Environmental Studies at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.

Prospect & Castle Places Specialty Tour | August 28, 2022

During the first four decades of the 20th century, well-to-do Madisonians built comfortable homes along the Lake Mendota shore, many of them designed by local architects Louis Claude and Edward Starck. The designs of these homes encompassed the styles popular in that era: Tudor and Georgian Revival, Craftsman, Prairie and Colonial Revival. Guests walked with us through this delightful neighborhood as we learned how eminent people lived a century ago. Discovering more about the architecture and history of this eerie remnant of Madison's earliest years.

Wisconsin state capitol restoration tour

2022 Member Appreciation Event | July 21-23, 2022

Madison Trust members enjoyed a tour of The Wisconsin State Capitol with Maura Donnelly, Charles Quagliana and Daniel Stephans who actively participated in the multi-phase restoration and rehabilitation effort from 1988 to 2002. The tour began in the Rotunda and traversed many of the key public spaces, ending with a moment in the Governor’s Conference Room, an area typically closed to the public. The tour leaders were all intimately involved with various portions of the project and provided their perspectives and insights on the history, architecture, engineering and art conservation aspects of the restoration and rehabilitation.

2022 Historic Preservation Awards | May 18, 2022

The Madison Trust honored eight award recipients at The Tinsmith at our Historic Preservation Awards. Guests enjoyed a single origin chocolate tasting with Gail Ambrosius, loved the heavy appetizers by Bunky’s Catering and leaned more about the people and projects during our award ceremony. We were excited to have the event at The Tinsmith as they were awards recipients at the 2021 awards events. We also greatly appreciated our event sponsors Trachte Building Systems and Reynolds Transfer and Storage.

Historic Paint Program | April 6, 2022

Jeff LaMay, with special guests Mike Bath, Doris Diaz and Bridget Kiefer, presented how they find and match original paint colors and decoration in historic buildings. The projects that were featured included: Madison Municipal Building, Pendarvis, Bellevue Apartments, Lathrop Hall on UW-Madison campus and the Wisconsin State Capitol.

Jeff LaMay has been a painter since 1977,a decorative painter since 1990, and in charge of the painted decoration at the Capitol since 2008. He has been doing historic color research with Mike Bath for about 10 years. Mike Bath was involved in the Capitol’s restoration and many historic projects. Doris Diaz and Bridget Kiefer have been involved with many of our recent projects including Pendarvis.

Checking In: Hotels, Camps and Motor Inns | March 9, 2022

On the road: part 4 of our architectural series

As Americans' mobility increased in the 20th century, so did our need for overnight accommodations. Hotels, tourist camps, cabins, motels, and motor inns have come and gone in response to popular taste, changing expectations, and market forces. We'll look at many modes of roadside lodging with particular emphasis on examples from Wisconsin and the Madison area.

Michael Bridgeman has volunteered for the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation for nearly 20 years. He has served on the Madison Trust board, guided Historic Architecture Walking Tours for more than 15 years, and now writes regular blog posts for the Madison Trust. In retirement, he has hosted two PBS Wisconsin programs about historic buildings in the state, researched National Register nominations, and volunteered for the State Historic Preservation Office.

Madison Moves: The Process and History of Relocating Buildings in Madison | February 9, 2022

On The Road: Part 3 of our Architectural Series

Heather Bailey, Preservation Planner with the City of Madison, will talk through the history of moving buildings in the city and the current process for building relocation. Tammie DeVooght Blaney, the Executive Director of the International Association of Structural Movers, will share the technicalities of moving different building types and how structural movers can help support historic preservation in a community.

Fill’er Up! The History and Evolution of the Gas Station in Wisconsin | January 12, 2022

On The Road: Part 2 of our Architectural Series

Perhaps no building better symbolizes America's fascination with the automobile than the lowly gas station. This slide lecture explores the rich social and cultural history of the automobile age by examining changes in station types and styles as illustration of broader trends in technological innovation and consumption patterns.

Presenter Jim Draeger has a deep and abiding interest in everyday buildings and the stories behind them. As an architectural historian, who retired after 31 years at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Draeger celebrates the importance of ordinary buildings to our daily lives through his research, writing, lectures and documentaries.

With co-author, Mark Speltz, he published with Wisconsin Historical Society Press, "Fill 'er Up: The Glory Days of Wisconsin Gas Stations." (2008). Fill ‘er up is about the days when a visit to the gas station meant service a windshield wash, a cheerful smile, and the question: "Fill 'er up?" The book traces the beginnings of gas stations as unremarkable buildings in the early age of cars and their evolution as more remarkable buildings: castles, cottages and teepees, Art Deco and Streamline Moderne, clad with wood, stucco, or even porcelain.

Ghost Signs of Madison, Wisconsin | November 10, 2021

On The Road: Part 1 of our Architectural Series

Many faded advertising signs that still haunt the sides of old buildings predate billboards and signs of today. Often referred to as ghost signs (not to be confused with the paranormal), most of these were hand-painted directly on building exteriors, a common practice between the late 1800s and the 1930s. From fancy graphics and images to simple announcements of a company name, some have been restored and repainted to look like the original. Many have been left to deteriorate with time and weather. Truly ghostly are those on which the paint has completely disappeared from the building surface leaving only cleaner brick where the images or words once were.

Guests learned about some of Madison’s nearly 40 ghost signs. Some of them are easily spotted, while others take some effort to find. These signs vary in legibility, some have been repainted with great clarity and some loom like true ghosts, nearly faded from sight.

Presenter: Maureen Janson Heintz is a former dancer, writer and accomplished photographer. Her passion for ghost signs let her to author the book Ghost Signs of Madison, Wisconsin.

2020-2021 Historic Preservation Awards | October 13, 2021

Madison Trust for Historic Preservation was pleased to honor 12 recipients in our community that demonstrated excellence in historic preservation in 2020 and 2021 . The awards, delayed in 2020, finally took place at the Garver Feed Mill where guests enjoyed historical tours, delicious hors d’oeuvres, drinks and an enjoyable ceremony recognizing award recipients from the last two years.

Greenbush Neighborhood specialty walking tour | September 26, 2021

Madison’s historic Greenbush neighborhood was many things depending upon your viewpoint.  The mainstream population of Madison might think of it as a place for entertainment at spaghetti restaurants and Prohibition speakeasies, or a dangerous center of bootlegging and organized crime located in a blighted neighborhood. 

On the other hand, residents of the neighborhood saw it as a warm home where neighbors looked out for neighbors, be they German, Italian, or Russian Jewish immigrants, or African Americans who were part of the Great American Migration.  Urban renewal effort in the 1960s tore the heart out of the neighborhood, but many traces remain, and the descendants of the original residents keep memories alive.  In the years after urban renewal, several locations in the neighborhood became associated with Madison’s LGBTQ community.

Indigenous Earthwork (Indian Mound) Walk on Lake Mendota’s North Shore

2021 Member Appreciation Event | September 5 and 9, 2021

We know pre-historic people greatly valued our Four Lakes (DeJope) area, because they built roughly 1,200 effigy (animal/spirit-shaped) and other mounds on the high grounds overlooking the lakes starting about 800 BC. While the vast majority was destroyed through development, Madison Trust for Historic Preservation docent Teri Venker will lead us on a two-mile walk where she will help us see remaining conical, linear, and effigy mounds. Amy Rosebrough, staff archaeologist for the State Historic Preservation Office, will also lead one of the tours. They will share the fascinating background of the indigenous people who lived, traded, hunted and fished the shores of Lake Mendota going back 10,000 years.

Windows Restoration 101 - Member-Only Class | April 10, 2021

In this small-group class, Pam Barrett shared her knowledge of window restoration (with a demo window!) as well as answering specific questions from attendees. Topics included:

• Review parts of the window

• Things that can go wrong that can be fixed

• Ideas for every historic window 

• Answer any specific questions on topics such as lead paint removal, how to put on new ropes, how to refinish and restore wood trim, making them air tight, using interior storms, replacing panes, insulating windows, repairing broken glass, repairing sash, and reglazing.

Presented by: Pam Barrett is the owner of Sash-A Restoration, LLC, a one-woman window restoration company. Sash-A specializes in restoring function and the inherent beauty in historic windows.  Pam is a licensed contractor and lead safe certified renovator.

Windows Restoration 101 - Virtual Seminar | April 8, 2021

The seminar portion of this program included:

• Why do we care about this so much? An introduction to window restoration.

• Structural: What’s a window? Learning the important parts and what the replacement windows do wrong

• Financial: Historic Tax Credits and historic districts

• Environmental: The greenest window is the one that currently exists

• Energy efficiency of old vs new windows

Presented by:

Erica Fox Gehrig is a historic preservation consultant (owner EFG Preservation) and tour guide (owner, Madison Food Explorers). Erica was previously employed at the Wisconsin Historical Society, served 12 years on the Madison Landmarks Commission, and also served on the board of the Madison Trust.

Pam Barrett is the owner of Sash-A Restoration, LLC, a one-woman window restoration company. Sash-A specializes in restoring function and the inherent beauty in historic windows.  Pam is a licensed contractor and lead safe certified renovator.

Elizabeth Cwik, AIA, is an architect with BWZ Architects and the University of WI-Madison, specializing in historic properties. Elizabeth also served on the Madison Trust Board of Trustees, and was a State Street docent.

Part 4: Brutalism | March 10, 2021

The Politics of Brutalism Brutalism was coined in the 50s as a positive term denoting strict honesty in architecture. It was then largely forgotten but resuscitated at the end of the 20th century as a derogatory label at the same time the buildings it described reached the nadir of their popularity. More recently advocates have flipped the term on its head, using it to praise these same buildings. It now appears that as these large concrete structures have become old enough to count as historic the term is increasingly settling into general use as a neutral style label. This talk explored some of the more prominent buildings described as Brutalist—for example Le Corbusier’s chapel at Ronchamp, the Smithson’s Hunstanton School, Paul Rudolph’s Art and Architecture Building at Yale—and the thousands of other buildings constructed across the world (including Madison) during the apogee of Brutalism and the way the odd trajectory of this label mirrors fights within the world of architecture and the public at large about the proper form of architecture in the public realm.

Our speaker, Robert Bruegmann, is an historian and critic of the built environment and Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Art History, Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is the author of numerous books and articles including The Architects and the city: Holabird & Roche of Chicago 1880-1918, 1998, Sprawl: A Compact History, 2005, The Architecture of Harry Weese, 2010 and Art Deco Chicago Designing Modern America, 2018. He is working on a book on Chicago architects Ben and Cindy Weese and a novel set in mid-19th century Europe. His main areas of research are in architectural and urban history, landscape design and historic preservation.

Part 3: Mid-Century Modern - Architectural Seminar Series | February 10, 2021

Ranch Dressing: The Wisconsin Post WWII Landscape  The period following World War II brought sweeping change to Wisconsin communities. Faced with crushing housing shortfalls and economic turmoil as the country transitioned from wartime build up to a civilian economy, the development of new middle class housing became a national obsession resulting in the modern suburb and new architectural forms. Postwar architecture reflected shifting government priorities and policies, technology transfer from war industries, changing postwar lifestyles, and a reordering of the landscape of our cities. This illustrated lecture shows how the apparent blandness of our “ticky-tacky” postwar landscape conceals a compelling story of emerging technology, cultural homogeneity, social engineering, and government control.

Presenter: Jim Draeger (see description in previous event)

Part 2: arts & crafts - Architectural seminar Series | January 13, 2021

The Artistry of Carpentry: Wisconsin's Arts and Crafts Architecture  At the turn of the century, architects were searching for an American architectural aesthetic that respected the beauty of materials and honesty of hand craftsmanship.   This series explores Wisconsin residences influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement.  Slide illustrated lectures will discuss the Bungalow, American Four-Square, and Prairie School as American expressions of the social and cultural ideas of the Arts and Crafts Philosophy.

Our presenter, Jim Draeger, has a deep and abiding interest in everyday buildings and the stories behind them. As an architectural historian, who retired after 31 years at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Draeger celebrates the importance of ordinary buildings to our daily lives through his research, writing, lectures and documentaries. With co-author, Mark Speltz, he has published with Wisconsin Historical Society Press, two award-winning books profoundly imbedded with the history of Wisconsin: The first is "Fill 'er Up: The Glory Days of Wisconsin Gas Stations" (2008). The second, "Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin's Historic Bars & Breweries" (2012). He is also a frequent presenter on Wisconsin Public Television, which has produced a companion DVDs to both books and is seen in other documentaries on resorts, supper clubs and other Wisconsin topics.

Part 1: Victorian Era - Architectural seminar Series | November 18, 2020

Victorian Architecture in Madison In America the second half of the 19th century was an age of exuberance in architecture and design. This presentation covered the period from the 1850s, when Madison experienced its first boom times, to about 1900. Michael Bridgeman focused principally on Victorian styles seen in Madison’s domestic architecture while touching briefly on commercial and public buildings.

Michael Bridgeman, a Wisconsin native, began volunteering for the Madison Trust soon after moving to Madison in 1982. He has guided Historic Architecture Walking Tours for more than 15 years, served two terms on the Madison Trust board, and now writes a regular blog post for the Madison Trust website. Since retiring from PBS Wisconsin, he has hosted two programs about historic buildings in the state, researched National Register nominations, and volunteered for the State Historic Preservation Office.

2020 virtual Annual Member Appreciation Event | October 8, 2020

Architectural historian and preservation advocate Gary Tipler provided an overview of the works of Madison architects Louis Claude (1868-1951) and Edward Starck (1868-1947), whose architecture spanned the period 1896-1927. Claude & Starck began their partnership in Madison in 1896 and, over the course of their 32 year partnership, designed hundreds of buildings, including nearly 40 libraries, many schools, public buildings, banks, factories and scores of residences. They became proficient in Gothic, Neo-Classical, Tudor and Prairie School styles of architecture. Throughout most of their partnership, their office in Madison was in the Badger Block, on South Carroll Street on the Capitol Square, an early commercial building of their own design.

Vilas Neighborhood Specialty Walking Tour | August 23, 2020

Our guests experienced how the historically unique Vilas Neighborhood has it all, from Indian Mounds and the popular Vilas Park to architecture ranging from Prairie and Queen Anne, to Tudor and Georgian Revival. Rising up a hill from wetlands and Lake Wingra, the Vilas Neighborhood (originally called Wingra Park) developed as one of Madison’s first residential suburbs as the city expanded. Learn what was destroyed and what was preserved as new homes went up. Over 130 years later, the neighborhood retains its unique aspects and continues to bustle with liveliness.

Link for all of the Planning Division’s published plans

Link to the Underrepresented Historic Resource Survey

Link to the Historic Preservation Plan

Three-part series on the Underrepresented Communities Historic Resources Survey

The City of Madison recently completed the Underrepresented Communities Historic Resources Survey to serve as a foundation piece for its city-wide Historic Preservation Plan. The survey gathered histories related to historic sites associated with African Americans, First Nations, Latino/a, Hmong, Women, and LGBTQ communities. The survey identified 96 historic properties associated with these communities.

During the first two centuries of historic preservation legislation in the US, policies and efforts heavily emphasized the histories of people who could afford to build architecturally acclaimed buildings - wealthy, powerful, white men. In the late-nineteenth century, historic ruins of Native American cultures benefited from the protection of new federal legislation. Beginning in the 1980s, new social histories began to change how (and where) we saw historic places. In recent years, preservation policies at all levels have shifted attention to people and communities whose histories have been neglected. The City of Madison's first city-wide Historic Preservation Plan was adopted in May of this year. Part of the Plan is intended to remedy the deficiencies of past planning efforts by presenting the histories of six underrepresented communities in Madison.

Part 1 | July 15

In Part 1 of our series, Preservation Planner Heather Bailey will speak about a number of the properties they identified related to Madison’s African-American, Latino, and Hmong communities. Click below to watch the presentation.

Part 2 | July 22

Part 2 of our series will focus on places where queer history and women's history happened in Madison. Our speaker, Jason Tish, researched the histories of the LGBTQ and Hmong communities, as well as women's history for the Historic Preservation Plan. Click below to was the presentation.

Part 3 | August 19

Part 3 of our series will focus on the First Nations community. Bill Quackenbush, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Ho-Chunk Nation, presented on the importance and need to establish their Tribal Historic Preservation Program and the benefits this entails for their community. Today, Wisconsin is currently home to 11 of the 574 federally recognized tribes, one being the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin, which was formally recognized in 1963. The Ho-Chunk Nation’s Preservation Department oversees the protection, preservation and perpetuation of their culture and heritage.

The Roots of architecture & Photography | May 21, 2020

The first permanent photograph was a photograph of a building and a garden, the relationship of photography and architecture has come along way since then. Mike Rebholz, an architectural photographer, uses photographs from different time periods to illustrate how photography responded to architecture and how much of the experience of architecture has come to be defined by the use of photography to illustrate buildings. He traces that intertwined shared history using examples of photographs from each period as defined by the changes in technology in photography. Photography has been and continues to be a modern technological endeavor and how it illustrates architecture is dependent on those rapidly changing techniques.

Mike also explores how photography has come to define architecture in terms of archaeology. Prior to the invention of photography all buildings were known either through direct experience or through hand-drawn illustrations; there was no other way to know architecture. Enter photography and there was what was perceived to be a representation of a building that challenged reality.

Landmarks Commission Presentation with Heather Bailey | April 29, 2020

Madison’s preservation planner, Heather Bailey, speaks about her role and the role of the Landmarks Commission as they work to protect the historic resources that represent Madison's unique and diverse heritage. Guests Learned practical information on how the system works including how and what you need to seek approval for work on historic properties and within historic districts as well as designating landmarks, landmark sites and historic districts.

Please note, we had minor technical issues, which is why it jumps into the presentation.

Old Governor’s Mansion Soirée | October 17, 2019

We were very fortunate to hold this event in the Old Governor’s Mansion, now the Governor’s Mansion Inn & Café, at 130 E. Gilman St., which was home to 17 Wisconsin governors from 1885 to 1950. This historic property was also declared a Madison Landmark in 1972. Guests enjoyed an array of delicious hors d'oeuvres and beverages while mingling with guests, listening to music and learning more about the history of the gorgeous property. For those wanting to dive into the history, we also offered two private tours with our knowledgeable docents.

Old Market Place Specialty Walking Tour | September 22, 2019

Themes for our 2019 specialty tour included adaptive reuse, Madison businesswomen, and Madison’s earliest African American community. Guests enjoyed a walking tour of this near east-side neighborhood between East Washington and the shore of Lake Mendota.  They saw how a historic factory, water utility building and school had been repurposed into apartments and learned about Madison’s earliest African American neighborhood.

2019 Annual Member Appreciation Event | August 28, 2019

Member-only event | To show our appreciation for our membership, we held our annual event at The French House where guests enjoyed delicious hors d'oeuvres and drinks while learning more about William V. Kaeser. Our guest speaker was Anne Biebel who presented on the architecture of William V. Kaeser who designed the venue, The French House. 

Researching the story of your home | May 22, 2019

Every building in Madison has a story, it's just a matter of knowing where to look for information. This workshop + tour walked guests through online and print resources that can help you discover the history of where you live. Presented by staff from the Madison Public Library and the city of Madison. This event is co-sponsored by the Madison Trust. 

2019 Historic Preservation Awards | May 19, 2019

Madison Trust for Historic Preservation was pleased to honor eight recipients in our community that demonstrated excellence in historic preservation . In 2019, the awards took place at the Old Sugar Distillery where guests enjoyed a whisky tasting tour, hors d’oeuvres and a fun selection of whisky beverages. Click here to view the award recipients from 2019.

Madison Architecture Presentation | May 15, 2019

Member-only event | Jason Tish, former Madison Trust executive director, discussed various architectural styles found in Madison's buildings and neighborhoods. This informal presentation was tailored to walking tour docents; however, it was sure to be informative and interesting to anyone wishing to discover more about our local historic architecture. Interested in becoming a member? See our Membership page.