Summary
Davidson Hall
550 South Shore Drive, Town of Linn, Walworth County
Architect: Marshall and Fox
Date of Construction: 1912
Davidson Hall located at 550 South Shore Drive, in the Town of Linn, Walworth County, was listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places on July 2, 1987 at the national level of significance for Architecture and significant persons. The building was constructed of stone in 1912 and designed in the Neoclassical style by architects Marshall and Fox.
The academy was originally founded as Northwestern Military Academy in Highland Park, Illinois, in 1888. After two fires, the institution moved to the Geneva Lake site in 1915. The school’s mission, as described in the 1919 catalogue: “To graduate young men who, with sturdy physique, sound scholarship, refined tastes, high moral and spiritual ideals, will be best prepared to make good citizens.”
The central building, named for the founder of the academy, Harlan Page Davidson, served as both the school and dormitory. The building contained a large library, classrooms, a dining or “mess” hall, a bank with a mini-post office, a barber shop, an infirmary, and a dayroom. It was flanked by a chapel featuring a steam organ on the east end, and by a gym on the west end, added in 1959.
Davidson Hall was demolished in 2001 to create the South Shore Club residential development that remains extant today. There is a Wisconsin Historical Society marker located along the lake shore path that stands as a reminder of the academy.
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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