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Property Location
| Location (Address) | 23688 ADAMS ST |
|---|---|
| County | Trempealeau |
| City/Village | Independence |
| Township | |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Town | |
| Range | |
| Direction | |
| Section | |
| Quarter Section | |
| Quarter Quarter Section |
Property Features
| Year Built | 1902 |
|---|---|
| Additions | 1904, 1910 |
| Survey Date | 1981 |
| Historic Use | city/town/village hall/auditorium |
| Architectural Style | Queen Anne |
| Structural System | |
| Wall Material | Brick |
| Architect | Maybury and Son |
| Other Buildings On Site | |
| Demolished | No |
| Demolished Date | |
| Additional Comments |
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. DOE 2/20/1981. Tiny Independence boasts an impressive brick municipal building, its spire visible for miles around. When the cornerstone was laid in 1902, this mostly Polish-American town had only five hundred residents, but they had voted overwhelmingly to build a city hall to convey prestige and prosperity. When a tornado demolished the second floor, a few months after the building opened in 1903, the undaunted citizens spent three years restoring it and completing the clock tower and interior. The building was the seat of municipal government and also housed the fire and police departments, the jail, and the public library, which stocked many Polish-language books. The American Legion met in the basement, and an opera house on the second floor hosted theatrical events, dances, movies, weddings, and even basketball games. The structure expresses the Romanesque Revival style, with its quarry-faced limestone basement, ribbon of round-arched windows joining the second and third floors, round-arched front entries, pronounced corbel table, and corner pavilions, which project slightly from the plane of the main facade. The southeast pavilion sports a pediment and a metal-shingled pyramidal cap with a blunt finial. The southwest pavilion anchors the much taller clock tower, with a boxy open belfry, a foliated frieze below, and a shell-like antefix. A faceted octagonal spire, clad with metal shingles, completes the composition. Through the efforts of a local citizens’ group, a newly rehabilitated Independence City Hall continues to convey this community’s pride. |
| Bibliographic References | LACROSSE TRIBUNE 3/7/1996. Independence News Wave 6/26/1997. Independence News Wave 11/1/1902. Independence News Wave 10/9/1997. Whitehall Times 12/10/1998. Whitehall Times 6/8/2000. LaCrosse Tribune 12/27/2000. Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript. |
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
| National/State Register Listing Name | Independence City Hall |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date | Jan 17, 2002 |
| State Register Listing Date | Jul 20, 2001 |
| Contributing |
Architecture & History Inventory
The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.
Questions?
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Email UsAttribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
Access Property Records
Some properties have more materials (correspondence, clippings, historical information, etc.) not in the digital record. If a 'Site File' exists, it's noted in the 'Additional Comments' field. Contact us for an appointment to view these materials.
Public Library and City Hall, Independence, Wis.
circa 1910-1919
View across street towards the public library and City Hall (one building), with a clock tower.
