Property Record
STATE HIGHWAY 49
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Wisconsin State Prison Farm |
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| Other Name: | West Barn Farm 1 - #2101 |
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| Reference Number: | 15418 |
| Location (Address): | STATE HIGHWAY 49 |
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| County: | Dodge |
| City: | |
| Township/Village: | Chester |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1914 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 19792014 |
| Historic Use: | barn |
| Architectural Style: | Astylistic Utilitarian Building |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Wood |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| National Register Listing Date: | |
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| Additional Information: | 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. In photo and/or map codes, (S) stands for State Facility Survey. Negatives filed with survey project. 2014: State Prison Farm #1 was first established in 1885 and the complex expanded in subsequent decades to include more than 20 individual buildings, structures, and objects by 1979, when it was included in a State Facility Survey. The farm complex is separated from WIS 49 by a deep setback, and a sign marks the entrance to a driveway flanked by an allée of deciduous trees. Few historic-period buildings remain. The West Barn (AHI# 15418) is a gothic-arch dairy barn built in 1914. It rests on a raised concrete foundation and is clad in standing-seam metal replacement siding. The metal roof has hay hoods at each gable end. A gothic-arch cross gable is centered on the north elevation and a gothic-arch ell extends at the southwest corner. A drive ramp on the north elevation near the northeast corner provides access to the hay floor and doors in the raised foundation at the east and west ends provide access to the basement. Windows in the basement walls are single-light replacement sash. Three monolithic concrete silos built in 1914 (AHI# 15013, 15014, 15015) are located on the north elevation and two small shed-roof additions are attached at the northeast corner. No other historic-era buildings appeared to be extant. Since the property was surveyed in 1979, many historic resources have been demolished and the complex now contains a large number of recent buildings and structures, including modern pole buildings and bunker silos. Due to the fact that the property is in active use as part of a correctional facility, access to the premises was not permitted. Field survey activities were limited to the public right of way and aerial imagery was used to aid in determining the property’s evolution over time. Based on a comparison of aerial imagery, photographs in the site file at the WHS, and sketch maps prepared prior to 1994, many of the historic-period buildings have been demolished, including the superintendent’s residence, office, and garage, as well as the inmate recreation shed. The majority of the other agricultural buildings historically located on the property were not visible during the survey and may have been removed. A number of large pole structures have been added between 1979 and 2005. |
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| Bibliographic References: |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |