Property Record
640 S 84TH ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | WISCONSIN STATE FAIR PARK |
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| Other Name: | |
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| Reference Number: | 9218 |
| Location (Address): | 640 S 84TH ST |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | West Allis |
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| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1892 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2007 |
| Historic Use: | fairground/fair structure |
| Architectural Style: | Astylistic Utilitarian Building |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Limestone |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| National Register Listing Date: | |
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| 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 State Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation. CUPOLA/VENTILATORS ON RIBBON-WINDOWED MONITORS. The 910' long Grandstand was built by the WPA. The Cattle Barns and General Activities Buildings were built in 1938. The sheep barns were built after the 1914 fire which destroyed everything north of the Administration Building. The Administration Building was constructed c. 1892. Wisconsin's first State Fair was held in Janesville in 1851. For the next 40 years of its existence, the fair was held in a variety of locations, including Madison, Milwaukee, and Watertown. Abraham Lincoln spoke at the Milwaukee fair of 1859, addressing a group of 800 from the back of a wagon. The fair was suspended during the Civil War and the next twenty years fairs, although in various locations, were hampered by floods and epidemics. The present permanent site was purchased in 1891 after lengthy debates over location, price and availability of transportation. The State Legislature made the final decision by one vote and the Wisconsin State Fair has been held annually in August in West Allis ever since. In 1914, a tornado and fire destroyed most of the early buildings. Subsequent building and remodeling have altered what remained. A WPA building program resulted in numerous structures completed in 1938. Previously surveyed in 1980. As of 2007, the grandstand is no longer standing; however, the stone-sheathed, WPA-built, underpass to the racetrack remains. the Cattle Barn (built 1907 or 1909), the Dairy Building (1910)and the Horticulture Building (1910) are the oldest structures remaining on the grounds. The grounds also include an Indian burial mound--that is identified by a state marker, the Pabst beer garden building (1948), the wine tasting building (1948), the roasted corn stand (1960s); and Smokey's schoolhouse (1948). All of the previous dates of construction were supplied by the Wisconsin State Fair Historian Jerry Zimmerman. All of the aforementioned buildings or structures have been added to the database with their own AHI number, see AHI#143718 to 143725. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Hammer, Einar O., One Hundred Years of the Wisconsin State Fair, Wisconsin Magazine of History, 34, #1, 1950, pp. 10-16. Burbach, Julius, West Allis "A City of Marvelous Growth", (n.p., n.d.) p. 13. Federal Writers Project, History of West Allis, n.p., n.d. typescript, pp. 11-13. Anonymous, Chronology of the Wisconsin State Fair, typescript in possession of the Local History Room, Milwaukee Public Library. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |