Property Record
233 W COOK ST
Architecture and History Inventory
Historic Name: | Rund Sham & Wrecker/ John Bassi Building |
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Other Name: | Grady's Janitorial Supply |
Contributing: | Yes |
Reference Number: | 45410 |
Location (Address): | 233 W COOK ST |
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County: | Columbia |
City: | Portage |
Township/Village: | |
Unincorporated Community: | |
Town: | |
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Quarter Section: | |
Quarter/Quarter Section: |
Year Built: | 1901 |
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Additions: | |
Survey Date: | 1992 |
Historic Use: | retail building |
Architectural Style: | Commercial Vernacular |
Structural System: | Balloon Frame |
Wall Material: | Brick |
Architect: | |
Other Buildings On Site: | |
Demolished?: | No |
Demolished Date: |
National/State Register Listing Name: | Portage Retail Historic District |
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National Register Listing Date: | 4/27/1995 |
State Register Listing Date: | 10/24/1994 |
National Register Multiple Property Name: |
Additional Information: | "John Bassi, who sold musical instruments as well as wallpaper, paint, and home furnishings, operated a store at this site by 1867. He replaced it with [this] building in 1901. Bassi's civic contributions included forming the German Liederkrantz Society, a male choral group, in 1856 well before the Civil War. In 1909 Frank Heidt acquired a German newspaper, the Wrecker, and also published the Rundshau at 233 W. Cook, as shown in the close-up below. The Wrecker was established in 1874 by Gustave A. Selback to serve Portage's large German population. In addition to the German newspapers, Heidt also sold wallpaper. Julius Schnell took over the German newspapers in about 1920, but not the wallpaper. Remodeled with carrara glass in the 1930s and 1940s, the building's remaining original feature in the corbelling visible along the base of the parapet and is shown in the underlying drawing." Historic Portage, WI: Downtown & Waterfront Walking Tour, 1995. |
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Bibliographic References: | Historic Portage, WI: Downtown & Waterfront Walking Tour, 1995. |
Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |