Property Record
51 SHEBOYGAN ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | MASONIC TEMPLE |
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| Other Name: | Windhover Center for the Arts |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 48285 |
| Location (Address): | 51 SHEBOYGAN ST |
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| County: | Fond du Lac |
| City: | Fond du Lac |
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| Year Built: | 1907 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2010 |
| Historic Use: | social recreational/fraternal hall |
| Architectural Style: | Neoclassical/Beaux Arts |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | Leenhouts & Guthrie |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | 1988:This two and one-half story meeting hall is decorated in the Classical Revival style. It has a hip roof with wide eaves that are decorated with modillions. A wide frieze runs along the entire building and is accented with a row of dentils. It is punctuated with small rectangular windows. The brick walls are accented with corner pilasters, and flat pilasters separate the window banks. Windows on the first story are tripartite units with transoms. On the second story these windows are accented with a large fanlight, making a round-arched window unit. Other windows of the second story are small, set into arched reveals. The front wall is dominated by the large portico with its colossal Ionic columns supporting an entablature, a row of dentils, and modillions that accent the eaves of a full pediment decorated with classical motifs. The entrance is set into a large round arch. Above the main entrance is a balcony behind which is an opening decorated with sidelights and a fanlight transom. The elegant propostions of the building are liberally accented with classical details, the most outstanding of which is the massive portico. The Classical Revival style gained popularity in the early twentieth century, particularly for large institutional buildings. This building is the best extant example of the style in Fond du Lac. This building has housed Masonic activities in Fond du Lac since its construction in 1906. This building is significant because of its long association with Masonic activities in Fond du Lac. Historically, social and fraternal groups have had a significant impact on the social and business framework of a community. Most of the historic movers and shakers of any community usually belonged to a fraternal group, making gatherings of such people important in the development of a community. Therefore, these buildings are historically important for the activities that took place in them. 2010-2011 Intensive Survey Report info: Rising from a raised basement, this two-and-one-half-story, Classical Revival-style Mason Temple is topped with a hipped roof and sheathed with red pressed brick. The structure is dominated along its primary (south) elevation by a full-height portico with colossal Ionic columns that support a fully pedimented roof with dentil and modillion-like trim. A large archway at the top of the stairs includes a wood-and-glass double-door entry topped with a transom and sidelights. Above the entry and along the second floor is a Palladian-like window arrangement that is fronted by an ironwork balconet. Windows along the first floor are generally rectangular, tripartite examples with transoms above, while second-floor examples are multiple-light, round-arched examples modestly trimmed with stone. Windows along the Marr Street elevation are set within shallow, brick-trimmed arches and each bay is separated by a single, brick pilaster with stone bases and caps. Above the second floor and beneath the roofline is a wide wooden frieze/attic story that includes small rectangular windows with classical wood trim. The date stone to the right (1906) represents the laying of the cornerstone, while the one to the left (west) represents the 2000 renovation. Historic postcard images, as well as a 1906 drawing reproduced in an area paper indicates that the roofline originally included roof dormers along the front and side elevations. As well, the addition to the left (west) was added in the 2000 renovation work. Designed by Leenhouts & Guthrie of Milwaukee, the Fond du Lac Masonic Temple was built between 1906 and 1907. The Fond du Lac lodge was founded in 1849, led by, among others, pioneer Fond du Lac settler Mason Darling. Darling served as Fond du Lac's first mayor, as well as the lodge's first Worshipful Master. Although the lodge was originally titled with the city's name, it chartered by the Grand Lodge as Fountain Lodge No. 26. The name #28;fountain#29; reportedly derived from the fact that Fond du Lac had numerous springs and fountains. The groups first regular meeting was held at the Odd Fellows Hall, after which it met in Darling's Hall (starting in 1862) at the northwest corner of 1st and Main streets. After two more moves in 1873 and 1889, the lodge built the subject structure at the northwest corner of Marr & Sheboygan streets. The building's cornerstone, which was made of Wausau granite, was laid on 23 May 1906, while dedication was held in March 1907. The construction contract, amounting to $22,900, was let to George Georgeson of Fond du Lac. The total cost of the building, from site purchase to completion, is recorded as $32,359.61. In addition to its use as Masonic Lodge No. 26, a second lodge--No. 140--had established in Fond du Lac and it too met at the facility. Eventually the two merged, retaining the No. 26 identification. As well, aside the Masons, the lodge was utilized by a variety of other fraternal organizations including (but not restricted to) the Order of the Easter Star, White Shrine of Jerusalem and Job's Daughters. In 1995, the Masons built a new $600,000 lodge at Arndt & Seymour streets and the downtown facility was purchased by the Arts Council of Fond du Lac. Following a $2.2 million renovation (with a significant donation from Harry & Betty Quadracci), which included the addition to the west, the Windhover Center for the Arts opened on 9 September 2000. The building continues to function as a performing arts facility. The building, which was designed by the well-known Milwaukee firm of Leenhouts & Guthrie, is a representative example of the Classical Revival style of architecture and includes a large portico with colossal fluted Ionic columns and a full pediment, engaged brick pilasters, original multiple-light windows and dentil trim. |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Fond du Lac City Directories. (B) Sanborn-Perris Maps - Fond du Lac. (C) Fond du Lac Tax Rolls. (D) Michael D. Lempinen and Les Ross, Intensive Survey Report, Fond du Lac: City of Fond du Lac and Sundberg, Carlson and Associates, Inc., 1989. (E) INSCRIPTION. (F) CORNERSTONE (1906). FOND DU LAC REPORTER 11/29/1994. See 2010-2011 Intensive Survey Report for citations for material below. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |