| Additional Information: | This building is the historic Schram Building, which was built in 1877, when J. Schram, Jr. built a three-story brick building at 120 South Water Street. J. Schram, Jr. started his dry goods business sometime prior to 1875, and continued his dry goods business located here on South Water Street until at least 1904. By 1911, the first floor of the building had changed to a saloon (unknown name), and by 1916, in this building there was a shoe store and a millinery on the second floor.
The Schram Dry Goods Building gains local historical significance under Criterion A in association with the Gernal Merchandise, Dry Goods and Furniture Store topic under Sparta's Commercial Theme. The J. Schram, Jr. Dry Goods Store was a community fixture from 1877 to circa 1904 or thereafter, and the building's period of historic significance ranges from the building's erection in 1877 to 1904, when the last well-documented business occupied it.
This two-story, two-bay Italianate styled commercial building is characterized by a wide, exceptionally elaborate projecting iron cornice decorated by brackets that are articulated by raised designs, block dentils, and a row of dentil trim. The paneled freize of the entablature is decorated by medallions and raised mouldings. The two shoulder arched compartments recessed in the brick work on the second story of the facade enframe single segmental arched windows. The two long, narrow windows, with one over one arched lights, are ornamented by elaborate iron window heads comprised of triangular pediments resting on consoles decorated with raised designs. A contemporary storefront with vertical siding on the transom area, brick aprons and a recessed central entrance with a metal and glass door is located on the lower story.
Well-preserved, this small elaborate Italianate styled commercial building has been altered by the addition of a contemporary storefront on the lower story of the facade. The original storefront was replaced by a new iron storefront imported from New York that was added to the building by local contractors Knauss and Huschka in 1904.
Constructed in 1877, this building was built at the same time as three other buildings on the block between 120 South Water and the Oak Street intersection [118 (MP23/36), 122 (MO2/34), and 126 (MP23/33) South Water Street. This small retail building, built on a stone foundation constructed at the same time as the foundation for 118 South Water by stone mason John Sharp, was built for J. Schram. This retail building was used originally to house Schram's Dry Goods Store, offering for sale a stock that included dress goods, domestics, laces, fancy goods and boots and shoes. It remained the property of the Schram family until at least the 1930s. The Sparta Free Library moved to the second floor of the Schrams building in 1892, where it remained until the turn of the century.
Building was remodeled in 1904.
The Schram Grocery is significant under Criterion C as an example the Italianate style. This small commercial building is among the best preserved of the 13 examples of the Commercial Italianate style in the proposed Water Street Historic District. Other well-preserved examples are located at 118 South Water (MO23/35), 117 East Oak (MP35/20), and 144 North Water (MO36/14). |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Sparta Herald, May 15, 1877; Aug. 28, 1877; Sept. 20, 1890; May 10, 1904.
(B) City of Sparta Tax Records, 1876-1930.
(C) Sanborn Insurance Maps 1884, 1889, 1894, 1911, 1922, 1931.
(D) City of Sparta Property Tax Rolls, 1870-1940.
(E) French, Bella, "History of Sparta, Wisconsin." The American Sketchbook. La Crosse: Sketch Book Company, Publishers, 1875, p. 70-74.
(F) Annual Directory of Sparta, Wisconsin. Vol. 1. Chicago: Interstate Directory Co., 1897.
(G) Sparta City Directory, 1903-1904. Sparta: R.C. Glover, Publisher, 1904.
(H) City Directory of the City of Sparta, Wisconsin. Sparta: compiled and published by E.B. Bell, 1916.
(I) Monroe County Republican Aug. 31, 1877. |
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