Property Record
129 3RD ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | RISLEY BROS. GENERAL MERCANTILE |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | J.C. PENNEY CO. |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 60124 |
| Location (Address): | 129 3RD ST |
|---|---|
| County: | Sauk |
| City: | Baraboo |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
| Range: | |
| Direction: | |
| Section: | |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1910 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 19892014 |
| Historic Use: | large retail building |
| Architectural Style: | Commercial Vernacular |
| Structural System: | Steel Frame |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | Harry Hale Waterman |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Downtown Baraboo Historic District |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | 6/8/2015 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 8/15/2014 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| 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, Division of Historic Preservation-Public History. This two story retail building features a rectangular shaped plan configuration, a concrete foundation, a brick exteror, a stone and terra cotta trim, and a tar covered arched roof. The structure is in excellent condition. The original store was 40 x 100' with four floors for sales, including the basement and the mezzanine. Heavy cast iorn surround three tiers of display windows beneath and enameled terra cotta arch. A band of cartouche stretches across the roof line, termined by larger terra cotta panels at each end. The cream brick is from Katanning, PA. All masonry trimmings on the facade, including pilasters, cartouches and the cornice are of vitrified mat-glazed enameled terra cotta. The windows were covered up with metal sometime between 1952 and 1957, while the building was occupied by Herberger's Department Store. Architectural/Engineering Significance: The enframed window wall, which gained popularity at the turn of the century and remianed so into the 1940's, reflects an effort to give greater order to facade composition of small and moderate sized commercial buildings. Like most buildings of this type, the Risley building is visually unified by enframing the large center section with a wide, continuous border - in this case, terra cotta - which is treated as a single compositional unit. Examples of the enframed windows wall are found more often in urban centers than small towns. Multi-story versions of the early 20th century tend to demarcate each level with spandrels; however, the emphasis given to the enframed section make it read as though it were an insert. Here, levels were denoted with wrought-iron, heightening the effect of the three tiers of glass. The building also employed construction innovations unique in Baraboo. The three upper floors of this building are entirely supported by rods hanging from steel trusses, placed just under the roof, so that the main sales floor is uninteruped by columns. Also, in order to overcome the lack of direct sunlight, the Risley brothers used a large skylight and prismatic lights in the front to illuminate the store. Historical Background: The building was constructed in 1910 by T. F. and C. E. Risley. The Risley Brothers, Chalres Edward and T. Fred, were born in Philadelphia in the late 1870's, and came to Baraboo in 1833. Previously located at 522 Oak, they built the store at 129 Third Street in 1910, and the Risley Co. occupied it until 1933. P. R. Schwenke of Reedsburg then operated a department store here until about 1945, after which it became the Burr Department Store. From 1952 to 1957, Herberger's occupied the building. J. C. Penny established a store here in 1962, which remained in the building until the construction of a larger building in West Baraboo on Hwy 12 in 1989. The present owner, A & L Partnership, is considering remodeling the second floor into apartments and creating an antique mall on the ground floor. Historical Significance: The building is of some historical importance as the home of some of the larger department stores in downtown Baraboo in the 20th century. From NRHP Nomination Form: The Risley Brothers, T. Frederich Risley and C. Edward Risley, operated a store at 522 and 526 Oak Street that had become too small for their rapidly growing business and in 1910 they purchased the property at 129 3rd Street and demolished it to make room for a new department store. The new building sits on a concrete foundation and has a brick exterior with terra cotta trim, an arched roof, and cast iron surrounds three tiers of display windows, presently covered with a metal screen on all the floors. Cartouches and cornice are of vitrified mat-glazed enameled terra cotta. The large, enframed window wall facing 3rd Street opened three tiers of cast iron and glass surrounded by a large terra cotta arch. The arch is merely ornamental, with terra cotta at the slightly arched roofline in a frieze band around the entire window. The striking exterior was matched by an elaborate interior arranged on a 40 by 100 foot rectangular plan featuring four floors of sales rooms. The three upper floors of the building are entirely suspended by rods hanging from steel trusses just below the roof so that the main sales areas are uninterrupted by columns. The building also employed the use of a large skylight, mezzanines, and prismatic light to help illuminate the large store. Display windows were lined with hardwood and painted in cream-colored enamel and most of the interior, including wood beams and the ceiling, was finished in birch and mahogany along with steel hardware and structural supports. The overall effect was of the most advance commercial architecture of the period. In 1928, T.F. Risley and C.E. Risley formed a new corporation called the Risley Brothers Company. The store operated as the home of many department stores in downtown Baraboo through the twentieth century. The Risley Brother’s Company ceased operating in 1933 and sold the property to the Schweke Dry Goods Store, which transferred ownership in 1945 to the Burr Stores chain. Herbergers Department Store purchased the site in 1954 and covered the front windows with a metal screen. In 1958 the site was transferred to the J.C. Penney Company. |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: | A. Undated clipping, Sauk County Historical Society Museum vertical file, "Risley's." B. Baraboo business and Telephone Directories. C. Baraboo News Republic 12/6/1995. D. Baraboo News Republic 4/18/1997. For NRHP Nomination Form: Baraboo News Republic, December 6, 1995. Baraboo News Republic, April 18, 1997. City of Baraboo Directory records on file with the Sauk County Historical Society. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, 1885, 1892, 1898, 1904, 1913, and 1927. On file at the Wisconsin Historical Society. Ward, Joseph Wayne. Baraboo, 1850-2010, Vols. II-IV: Chronology of the Growth of the Commercial & Retail Districts. Self-published, 2013. Wolter, Paul. Notes collected for tours of Downtown Baraboo. Multiple dates. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |