HISTORIC WALKING TOUR BOOKLET


Rob Latousek

The Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Association set up an ad hoc committee in 1991 to study the history of the neighborhood and investigate the possibility of publishing a historical walking tour booklet, similar to those published over the last ten years for other areas of the City of Madison. Members of the committee included Rick Bernstein, Rebecca Sample Bernstein, Martha Kilgour, Ed Kuharski, Rob Latousek, Brian McCormick, Valerie Mellerop, Sonia Newenhouse, and Jane Scharer. Several topics were researched, and articles were written for the neighborhood newsletter. A preliminary survey of neighborhood architecture was conducted, and a list of potential candidates for a walking tour booklet created. Discussions with Katherine Rankin, the City's Preservation Planner, have supported the idea that the neighborhood has enough historic architecture and significance to warrant the publication of its own walking tour booklet.

Michael Tuten is a neighborhood resident and former president of both TLNA and the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation. He has contributed photographs to other historic walking tour booklets, as well as the Trust's annual awards program, and has volunteered his services in producing all necessary photographs for this booklet.

In order to accomplish the additional research and writing that needs to be done, the neighborhood proposes to hire a historic preservation consultant, Timothy Heggland, who has worked on similar walking tour booklets for other downtown Madison neighborhoods and actually grew up in the neighborhood.

Katherine Rankin, Preservation Planner for the City of Madison, has offered her own editorial services, as well as the support services of city staff for preparation of the text, maps, and final camera-ready copy for the printer. They have a wealth of experience preparing other such booklets and have access to excellent maps and good technical tools for this work.

The Madison Gas & Electric Foundation, which has been involved in several aspects of our neighborhood planning process, is offering to assist in this proposed publication by donating the necessary printing materials and services.

The format of the walking tour booklet would follow the model of the other such booklets published for downtown Madison neighborhoods. It will include descriptions and photographs of approximately 25 historic places (parks, residences, and commercial buildings) in the neighborhood and a map legend of the entire neighborhood with selected places highlighted for the walking tour. An initial printing of 5,000 copies is planned. The booklet would be made available to the public free of charge through the City of Madison Department of Planning and Development office, the Madison Public Library, the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce office, the State Historical Society, and other venues.

The Madison Trust for Historic Preservation has already contributed $600 toward this project. We have submitted an application to the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission for the remaining $2,050 needed to complete the project. Any questions may be directed to Rob Latousek (255-6979).

Return to Table of Contents