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Property Location
Property Features
A large and symmetrical three story building with basement and attic designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style of red brick and brownstone by H.P. Padley a partner of Conover & Porter of Madison. A large Richardsonian arched entry marks the main north facade.
Wheeler Hall is the original building of Northland College originally the Northland College, originally the North Wisconsin Academy of 1893. The building is mostly a copy of Scowville Hall of Beloit College.
Northland College, with its environmentally focused curriculum, offers a model of sustainable living at its McLean Environmental Living and Learning Center. This energy-efficient building, constructed with recycled-content materials, actively monitors energy use to gauge the effectiveness of its solar and wind energy systems. A computerized system records energy use every five minutes to measure McLean’s annual savings. Solar roof panels, salvaged from the Milwaukee Zoo, pre-heat water for its efficient gas-boiler heating system. These photovoltaic panels and a wind turbine offset three percent of electrical use. A two-story greenhouse permits year-round herb and vegetable gardening for residents, and the landscaping uses low-maintenance, drought-tolerant native species that weather Ashland’s cold climate.
The McLean Center, which fills a city block, resembles a row of cedar-sided houses with brownstone trim and various combinations of casement and sash windows. The brownstone was salvaged from Ashland’s old high school. Housing 112 beds for students in a combination of singles, doubles, and suites, the building purposely has no elevator, so students must use stairs. The interior features low-wattage lighting instruments, high r-factor windows, and energy-efficient insulation in walls and ceilings. Recycled milk jugs form bathroom dividers, and the doors and countertops are made of wheat straw, soybean husk, and sawdust composite board.
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
HI2625
Architecture & History Inventory
The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.
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Wheeler Hall
1955
Wheeler Hall at Northland College, during winter. A group of people are on a bridge over the Bay City Creek, surrounded by trees, in the foreground. Wheeler Hall is a three story building with base...
Wheeler Hall
1930
Wheeler Hall at Northland College, a three story building with basement and attic, surrounded by trees. Built in 1893 of red brick and brownstone in the Romanesque Revival style. An extensive Prope...
Wheeler Hall
1930
Wheeler Hall at Northland College, a three story building with basement and attic. Built in 1893 of red brick and brownstone in the Romanesque Revival style. It is surrounded by a lawn, trees and o...
