Summary
Bernard-Hoover Boathouse
622 East Gorham Street, Madison, Dane County
Built: 1915
The Bernard-Hoover Boathouse is located in James Madison Park on the shores of Lake Mendota, the last extant building that represents the once-ubiquitous commercial boating industry in Madison. The exterior of the boathouse remains largely unchanged, with four large garage doors facing the lake on the first floor, used for boat storage and offices, and a residential unit and storage on the second floor.
German immigrant Charles Bernard began his fishing business at this site in 1855 and over time extended his operations into boat livery and pleasure cruises. In addition to building the steamboats that they operated, Bernard and his sons provided recreational excursions for tourists to resorts on other parts of the lake. They took further advantage of this market by buying land on the northeast shore of the lake in Woodward’s Grove and opening Bernard’s Pleasure Park, which featured picnic grounds, a refreshment stand, and a large dancing pavilion. At their peak, the Bernards operated six pleasure boats at one time.
The Bernard family owned and operated the boathouse until 1940, by which time automobiles had significantly cut down on their business. In 1943, the boats and boathouse was bought by Harry Hoover, who operated the business until 1968, when it was bought by the city of Madison to enlarge James Madison Park.
Now owned by the Mendota Rowing Club, the Bernard-Hoover Boathouse is a reminder of the boating industry in Madison, when people were dependent on the lakes for travel as well recreation.
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.
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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.
Carl H. Bernard
May 6, 1948
Carl H. Bernard, operator of the University Boathouse on Lake Mendota, standing on a pier. Carl is the grandson of Charles Bernard Sr., who started the Bernard Boat Company at 624 East Gorham Stree...
1260 Honk Hill Road
04000730
Located in Town of Three Lakes, Oneida County
On Mendota Lake near Varsity Boat House
1915
View of a group of people in a large model launch with an American flag. Caption reads: "On Mendota Lake near University of Wisconsin-Madison Boat House."
1000 Leatzow Road
08000750
Located in Town of Three Lakes, Oneida County
