click zoom to display a high-res image
Melvin Avenue gnerally bounded by Erie Street and North Main Street
Melvin Avenue Residential Historic District
11000788
Melvin Avenue gnerally bounded by Erie Street and North Main Street
Racine
Racine
Summary
Melvin Avenue Residential Historic District
Melvin Avenue generally bounded by Erie Street and North Main Street, Racine, Racine County
Dates of construction of contributing buildings: 1924-1941
Situated north of the downtown in a residential area of Racine, the Melvin Avenue Residential Historic District contains houses reflecting a range of residential architectural styles popular during its period of development between 1924 and 1944. The district conveys a sense of historical and architectural cohesiveness through its high style architectural designs of 32 modest size homes, which distinguish it from other residential areas within the city.
The fall of Racine County’s agricultural industry, accompanied by the upgrading and consolidation of rural schools, the installation of electricity and telephones, the proliferation of automobiles, and the resulting improvement of roads led to further expansion into rural areas through the 1920s. Areas on the outer fringes of the city became suburban enclaves to the city's more prosperous residents. In the residential area north of downtown, these houses were concentrated along Melvin Avenue, an area which became one of Racine's premiere residential neighborhoods. Contextually, the development of the district relates to the economic and subsequent housing booms that affected the city in the 1920s and 1940s. Representative of the prevailing architectural styles of the times, Bungalow and Period Revival styles such as Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, Dutch Colonial Revival, and Spanish Colonial Revival, are prominent within the district. One of the Tudor Revival homes was based on a 1929 publication by Popular Mechanics Magazine entitled "16 Selected Bungalows for Lean Purses."
The residences within the Melvin Avenue Residential Historic District are well preserved and have much the same appearance today as they would have years ago. The result is now one of Racine's most architecturally intact historic residential areas.
The district's houses are private residences. Please respect the rights and privacy of the residents.
Property Details
Resources Within The Property
Designations
State & National Registers of Historic Places
The State Register and National Register recognize buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that are significant in national, state, or local history. The State Historic Preservation Office in conjunction with the National Park Service maintains the list for Wisconsin and makes the data available to the public for research and education.
Questions?
Wondering about if your property is eligible or have other questions about the registers, reach out today!
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.
Bounded by Western Avenue, Tenth Street, Station Street, and Fifth Street
15000503
Located in Watertown, Jefferson County
Generally bounded by Washington Street, Perkins Boulevard, Gardner Avenue and Randolph Street
14000452
Located in Burlington, Racine County
East Third Street from Central Avenue to 4th Avenue E
14000430
Located in Washburn, Bayfield County
7002-7016 (even only) Hubbard Avenue; 1812-1916 (even only) Park Street; 7002-7227, 7233, 7235, 7237 Elmwood Avenue
03000699
Located in Middleton, Dane County
Bounded by Haven Avenue, Russet Street, Lindermann Avenue and Kentucky Street
16000566
Located in Racine, Racine County
