Property Record
400 MAIN ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Park Store (1903) Doerflinger's Department Store (1907) |
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| Other Name: | Feminine Fancies |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 35001 |
| Location (Address): | 400 MAIN ST |
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| County: | La Crosse |
| City: | La Crosse |
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| Year Built: | 1903 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1996 |
| Historic Use: | large retail building |
| Architectural Style: | Commercial Vernacular |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | Schick and Roth |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | La Crosse Commercial Historic District |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 9/2/1994 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 10/8/1993 |
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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. The WHS holds a covenant on this building until 2/14/2019. Simplified bracketed cornice on west and north facades with row of brick dentils and belt course beneath the cornice; brick elevations divided by recessed panels with groups of three windows in the second and third stories and outlined with brick tracery and classical mouldings; transom windows of clouded glass above the store fronts on the west and north facades; the glass in the store fronts appear to have been altered fron the original. Exhibiting the simplicity of decoration chracteristic of the early 20th century, the Doerflinger Store is architecturally significant as the first modern commercial store in the City and important as an example of the work of the lcoal architects, Schick and Roth. In 1893, Doerflinger is a "dry-goods dealer" at 109-113 South Fourth (a hotel/saloon that is not extant). By 1897, he has built the first Park Store at 400 Main. This property burned and in 1903 the present building was erected. It, too, was originally called the Park Store, but by 1907 is called Doerflinger's Department Store. This was the first of a new style of "modern" commercial buildings. The ground floor has very large glass display windows with no significant supports visible. Above the display windows was a narrow band of windows with frosted glass to provide indirect light inside, a feature used in the 1880s and 1890s. The forth floor has smaller windows and seems shorter, a device to make the building seem taller. Hugo Schick was trained in Europe and used various decorative styles based on historic sources for his other buildings. His partner, Andrew Roth, had no formal training in architecture. Neither man was trained to design this kind of building, so its origin is something of a mystery. Covenant/Easement: Expires 2-14-2019. Effective 2-14-1999. A 'covenant file' exists for this property. It may contain additional information such as photos, drawings and correspondence. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Dr. L. Crocker, "A Report on Some Historical Structures in the Downtown Area, La Crosse, WI", 1977. (B) La Crosse City Directory, 1893-1907. (C) Sanborn-Perris Maps, City of La Crosse, 1891, 1906, 1938. LACROSSE TRIBUNE 9/14/1996. LaCrosse Tribune 4/15/2002. Crocker, Leslie. La Crosse Buildings through Time. La Crosse: La Crosse Public Library Archives Department, 2015. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |