Property Record
5257 USH 51
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Wampum Shop |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | Wampum Shop |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 79581 |
| Location (Address): | 5257 USH 51 |
|---|---|
| County: | Iron |
| City: | |
| Township/Village: | Mercer |
| Unincorporated Community: | MERCER |
| Town: | 43 |
| Range: | 3 |
| Direction: | E |
| Section: | 36 |
| Quarter Section: | NE |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: | NW |
| Year Built: | 1954 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2008 |
| Historic Use: | retail building |
| Architectural Style: | Art/Streamline Moderne |
| Structural System: | Unknown |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| 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. Originally surveyed 1996; 2008 survey found projecting wood awning to be recent addition - it extends to the south and west elevations "This shop has been in operation on this corner, under this name, since the early 1950's. Thanks to improved roads, more comfortable cars and increasing leisure time and money, the late 1940s, and early 1950s, saw an explosion in traffic along Highway 51. The former dirt and gravel road was paved, and it became possible for families from Illinois and southern Wisconsin to drive to Mercer in less than one day. Like buildings in neighboring Minocqua and other tourist towns, the Wampum Shop was designed to catch the motorists, not the railroad passenger, who by the late 1940s, was becoming rare." Iron County Heritage Area, Historic Touring Guide & Map to Iron County: Wisconsin's Vacation Paradise, not dated. |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: | “Architecture/History Survey. USH 51: Beachway Dr. To CTH J (USH 51) & Local Streets, Mercer.” WHS project number 10-0835/IR. September 2008, and May 2010. C. Ahlgren, R. Bankowitz, and J. Vogel Iron County Heritage Area, Historic Touring Guide & Map to Iron County: Wisconsin's Vacation Paradise, not dated. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |