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Property Location
| Location (Address) | 1610 Gilson Street |
|---|---|
| County | Dane |
| City/Village | Madison |
| Township | |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Town | |
| Range | |
| Direction | |
| Section | |
| Quarter Section | |
| Quarter Quarter Section |
Property Features
| Year Built | 1962 |
|---|---|
| Additions | |
| Survey Date | 2019 |
| Historic Use | large retail building |
| Architectural Style | Contemporary |
| Structural System | |
| Wall Material | Brick |
| Architect | |
| Other Buildings On Site | |
| Demolished | No |
| Demolished Date | |
| Additional Comments |
City of Madison, Wisconsin Underrepresented Communities Historic Resource Survey Report: Ben’s Barber Shop served as a social space and as a place to cut and style hair for the African American community. The shop, the oldest African American barbershop in Madison, was divided in two, one side for women and the other for men and provided a wide range of hair treatments and styles. Ben Parks moved to Madison from Georgia as a young man in 1953 and lived in the Greenbush neighborhood. Parks initially worked for Reverend James and Jackie Wright, who owned and operated the Jackie and Jimmy’s Beauty Shop. Eventually, Parks opened his shop. In 1962, Ben’s Barber Shop moved into a contemporary style building at 1610 Gilson Street, relocating from the Greenbush neighborhood. Ben Parks retired in the late 1990s when the shop was renamed Style and Grace. One of the most prominent barbers at the shop, Taylor “Smitty” Smith, was a fixture in the community who had been working as a barber in Madison since 1954. He has also trained many of the barbers that continue to work in the community. Jeff Patterson, who was mentored by Smitty, established JP Hair Design, located at 584 Grand Canyon Drive on the west side of Madison, that continues in the role of Ben’s Barber Shop as a social gathering place within the wider Madison community. Ben Parks died in 2013. |
| Bibliographic References |
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
| National/State Register Listing Name | Not Listed |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date | |
| State Register Listing Date | |
| Contributing |
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.
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Larry Brilliott, Barber, and Governor Nelson
April 27, 1959
Barber Larry Brilliott (standing and reflected in mirror) and Governor Gaylord Nelson, who is sitting in a barber chair in the Park Hotel barber shop. Brilliott has been cutting hair for politician...
