Historic Preservation and the Diocese
As you may know, a historic landmark, the Catholic Diocese Building on East Wilson Street is in jeopardy of being torn down. Instead, our Mayor would like to build a new hotel to accommodate the Convention Center on the site, one of three sites being considered. We cannot allow this building to be torn down. He and many others fail to realize that our country desperately needs to protect historic landmarks.
A beautiful oasis, the Diocese building has a stately, yet humble façade recessed from the sidewalk, framed by trees and stylized lamps. It maintains a visual harmony among its neighboring buildings, the Madison Club and the Bellevue Apartments. Together, these three buildings maintain a strong link to Madison's past, something for which Madisonians are justifiably proud. Furthermore, all three buildings' green grounds provide the eyes and minds of passers-by with a restful break from pavement, glass and cement. Wouldn't you need one yourself after emerging from a state crackerbox building? Madison should follow our country's growing trend to capitalize on the draw which historic districts provide to cities and enhance tourism, the economy, and the culture. The existence of historic buildings reflect a level of pride and caring among our citizens. Consider the Main Street projects that have brought prosperity to many towns within Wisconsin alone.
The Madison Club and the Diocese building work in harmony with the Bellevue Apartment building to point to a very significant period in Madison's social and architectural history. The Classical Revival style in downtown Madison as well as open spaces and landscaping, recall the local impact of the City Beautiful movement that followed the Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. America's premier landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmstead, was asked to contribute his expertise to this Columbian Exposition. He, in turn, urged the fair's organizers to create a layout that emphasized harmony and unified buildings and grounds. Back in Madison the influence of the Columbian Exposition was profound.
In their day, the planners of this area (and also the Post Office and Courthouse Building) hoped that these buildings would be a grand approach to the capitol building. Olin added that if the people are denied greenspace, such as the Diocese building provides, it would be a tragic form of impoverishment.
What is left of this downtown area recalls the ambiance of the city at the culmination of its most successful period of urban improvement. Furthermore, the construction of a new proposed hotel on the historically significant site of the Diocese building between the Bellevue and the Madison Club would work to further disregard the life of the people living on or near the isthmus or the civic functioning of the city. The essence of the work of Olin and his peers was to create an urban environment conducive to the health and pleasure to the people of Madison, including visitors to Madison and the convention center who could walk a block or two from their hotel room and enjoy what they see of the city of Madison along the way. This group of beautifully preserved buildings offers the visitor and the resident a small respite from harsh reality, and maintains a thread of continuity with the city's past (thus far). Those who oppose the destruction of this building are encouraged to call Barbara Vedder, our Alderperson. Excerpts taken from Jane Eisley's National Register of Historic Places Registration form, January 1992. n Jane Eisley
As you may know, a historic landmark, the Catholic Diocese Building on East Wilson Street is in jeopardy of being torn down. Instead, our Mayor would like to build a new hotel to accommodate the Convention Center on the site, one of three sites being considered. We cannot allow this building to be torn down. He and many others fail to realize that our country desperately needs to protect historic landmarks.
A beautiful oasis, the Diocese building has a stately, yet humble façade recessed from the sidewalk, framed by trees and stylized lamps. It maintains a visual harmony among its neighboring buildings, the Madison Club and the Bellevue Apartments. Together, these three buildings maintain a strong link to Madison's past, something for which Madisonians are justifiably proud. Furthermore, all three buildings' green grounds provide the eyes and minds of passers-by with a restful break from pavement, glass and cement. Wouldn't you need one yourself after emerging from a state crackerbox building? Madison should follow our country's growing trend to capitalize on the draw which historic districts provide to cities and enhance tourism, the economy, and the culture. The existence of historic buildings reflect a level of pride and caring among our citizens. Consider the Main Street projects that have brought prosperity to many towns within Wisconsin alone.
The Madison Club and the Diocese building work in harmony with the Bellevue Apartment building to point to a very significant period in Madison's social and architectural history. The Classical Revival style in downtown Madison as well as open spaces and landscaping, recall the local impact of the City Beautiful movement that followed the Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. America's premier landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmstead, was asked to contribute his expertise to this Columbian Exposition. He, in turn, urged the fair's organizers to create a layout that emphasized harmony and unified buildings and grounds. Back in Madison the influence of the Columbian Exposition was profound.
In their day, the planners of this area (and also the Post Office and Courthouse Building) hoped that these buildings would be a grand approach to the capitol building. Olin added that if the people are denied greenspace, such as the Diocese building provides, it would be a tragic form of impoverishment.
What is left of this downtown area recalls the ambiance of the city at the culmination of its most successful period of urban improvement. Furthermore, the construction of a new proposed hotel on the historically significant site of the Diocese building between the Bellevue and the Madison Club would work to further disregard the life of the people living on or near the isthmus or the civic functioning of the city. The essence of the work of Olin and his peers was to create an urban environment conducive to the health and pleasure to the people of Madison, including visitors to Madison and the convention center who could walk a block or two from their hotel room and enjoy what they see of the city of Madison along the way. This group of beautifully preserved buildings offers the visitor and the resident a small respite from harsh reality, and maintains a thread of continuity with the city's past (thus far). Those who oppose the destruction of this building are encouraged to call Barbara Vedder, our Alderperson.
Excerpts taken from Jane Eisley's National Register of Historic Places Registration form, January 1992.
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