Located on a bluff near the south shore of the Chequamegon Bay, the Fifield Place Historic District consists of six homes situated on a single block; one house faces North Ellis Avenue and the Chequamegon Hotel (built in 1986), while the remaining five homes are lined up on the opposite side of the block, facing Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church (1887). The Ellis Avenue house was built in 1883 by Samuel S. and Stella Fifield. Fifield had moved in 1872 to Ashland, where he and his brother Henry established a newspaper, The Ashland Press. Following the establishment of the area’s iron ore industry, a sudden, significant influx of residents occurred between 1885 and 1887, which resulted in a housing shortage.

In response to the citywide housing shortage, Ashland experienced a building boom in 1887 that included the construction of 429 dwellings—the likes of which would never be seen again. Among those contributing to the construction boom was Samuel S. Fifield, who had just completed his tenure in office as Lieutenant Governor, re-platted his own property as Fifield Place and had a row of six cottages built, essentially in his backyard. The two-story, Queen Anne-style cottages were designed by Ashland architect, William Webster. Instead of selling the homes off to individuals, he operated them as rental properties. Despite the 2011-2012 demolition of Cottage #6, the collection of homes on Fifield Row stands as a unique testament to Ashland’s early planning and development in general and to the 1887 building boom, specifically. Also in 1887, Fifield improved his own spacious home to include a separate entrance to the upper level, where he rented rooms—most often to public school teachers—which also helped to alleviate the housing crunch.

The homes in the district are privately owned; please respect their privacy.