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Property Location
| Location (Address) | 506-508 E WILSON ST |
|---|---|
| County | Dane |
| City/Village | Madison |
| Township | |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Town | |
| Range | |
| Direction | |
| Section | |
| Quarter Section | |
| Quarter Quarter Section |
Property Features
| Year Built | 1871 |
|---|---|
| Additions | 1891 |
| Survey Date | 1982,2019 |
| Historic Use | grocery store/supermarket |
| Architectural Style | Italianate |
| Structural System | |
| Wall Material | Brick |
| Architect | |
| Other Buildings On Site | |
| Demolished | No |
| Demolished Date | |
| Additional Comments | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. City of Madison, Wisconsin Underrepresented Communities Historic Resource Survey Report: There were numerous gay bars and gay-friendly establishments in Madison in the 1960s and 1970s. However, there were very few that catered specifically to lesbians. Emily’s, a lesbian bar, operated at 506 East Wilson Street from 1983 and 1984. 506 East Wilson Street was built for Herman Kleuter and completed 1871. An addition was added in 1891. Emily’s was opened by women who “saw a need for a women’s place after Lysistrata, a lesbian/feminist restaurant at 325 W. Gorham Street, burned down.” After Emily’s closed, another lesbian bar, Cheri’s Back East, operated here from 1984 until 1990. Cheri’s hosted drag shows to benefit the Madison AIDS Support Network and the Gay Theater Project. |
| Bibliographic References |
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
| National/State Register Listing Name | East Wilson Street Historic District |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date | Apr 03, 1986 |
| State Register Listing Date | Jan 01, 1989 |
| Contributing | Yes |
Architecture & History Inventory
The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.
Questions?
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Email UsAttribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
Access Property Records
Some properties have more materials (correspondence, clippings, historical information, etc.) not in the digital record. If a 'Site File' exists, it's noted in the 'Additional Comments' field. Contact us for an appointment to view these materials.
500 Block of East Wilson Street
1918
A view looking west up the 500 block of East Wilson Street. Left to right are the Cardinal Hotel, 416-18 East Wilson Street; Lake City House, 502 East Wilson Street; Louis Russos candy store, 504 ...
