9 South Broad Street

Summary

Elkhorn Municipal Building
7 South Broad Street, Elkhorn, Walworth County
Architect: Edward Tough
Date of construction: 1931

The Elkhorn Municipal Building represents the growth and development of Elkhorn’s city government during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During this time, local government grew from one providing rudimentary services to the provider of the broader types of services expected by the public today. It was truly a "municipal" building, not just a city hall. A contemporary article described the large basement that housed light and water department appliance display and storage, fire department facilities, and large restrooms with lounges. The first floor housed the offices of the light and water department and their retail show room, city offices, and a three-stall fire department garage. The second floor contained an auditorium and a large club room with attached kitchen. The third floor included the upper level of the auditorium, as well as a suite of rooms for use by the American Legion.

The Elkhorn Municipal Building is the community's single high style example of the Art Deco style. The stone veneer details of the building include well-executed stylized classical motifs that suggest verticality. A dominant motif of the building is a fluted pilaster strip topped with a capital of stylized leaves. Another common detail of the building’s decoration is a repeated lintel that features a geometric zigzag pattern and stylized arrows. This is a good example of low-relief geometric ornamentation common to the Art Deco style.

While certain functions have moved from the building over time, it continues to house municipal offices and is open during regular business hours.

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