West Main Street Historic District
Roughly bounded by North & South Elm, West Pine, North Hickory, and West Mineral streets, Platteville, Grant County
Dates of construction of contributing buildings: 1847-1955
The West Main Street Historic District is one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in the city of Platteville. John H. Rountree first settled in Platteville in 1828; he chose this location as a likely place to mine lead. Rountree's success led him to establish the first flouring mill in the region, just north of the present city, in 1836; he also built the first hotel in what is now Platteville in the same year. In 1841, Platteville was platted as a village, and by 1843, brick buildings had begun to appear in the growing village. The two oldest buildings in the District were built in 1847 on N. Elm Street, which was then the western edge of the village. In 1853, a large Greek Revival style building was built across the street from these two houses for the Platteville Academy. This stone-clad building, located at 30 N. Elm St., became Wisconsin's first teacher's college in 1866 and it was continuously expanded until the early 1890s. Rountree Hall was listed individually in the NRHP in 1974.
The thirteen oldest houses in the District are medium size examples of the Greek Revival and Italianate styles and their vernacular equivalents that date from the late 1840s to the late 1860s. The District's most numerous houses, however, are examples of the Queen Anne style. The large, cream brick Frank Burg house, located at 315 W. Main St. is an exceptionally fine example. In addition, the District also has fine Arts and Crafts, Craftsman, and Colonial Revival and Dutch Colonial Revival style houses.
The houses in this district are private residences. Please respect the rights and privacy of the residents.
|