115 E FRANKLIN ST

115 E FRANKLIN ST

Monroe

Sparta

1925

1989

gas station/service station

Commercial Vernacular

Concrete Block

No

The present building was constructed as the William Baldwin Garage in 1925. It is not known how long Baldwin operated this garage. However, by 1931, G.M. Hall's automotive repair shop was located at this address. G.M. Hall and his wife Gypsie were residents of Sparta as early as 1916. A this time, to the east of Hall's automotive repair shop, a nine stall structure (not extant) was located which probably was related to the garage. In an earlier building on this property, previous businesses included a wagon shop owned by unknown persons (1889 to 1894), and a paint shop and a tin shop (1900) owned by E.C. Chapman and Charles Van Kirk. Because little historical data is currently associated with the William Baldwin Garage, its role in the development of Sparta remains unclear. It is therefore currently historically insignificant under criterion A. This vernacular building is a long narrow concrete and frame building constructed along the alley of the 100 block of North Water. The facade of the building [fronting on East Franklin] is characterized by rock-faced concrete block construction. A wooden large window with vertical lights at the top and an entrance door in the west bay are displayed on the facade and four wooden entrance doors are located on the stepped-bacl concrete block sections of the west elevation. The frame rear section of the building displays multiple wooden service doors fronting on the alley. The Baldwin Garage building was built in 1925 originally as a series of automobile storage garages that fronted on the alley at the rear of the hotel formerly on the corner of Water and Franklin and the rear of the Sparta Auto Garage. William Baldwin, who owned a gunsmith across the street on East Franklin, built similar concrete block garages [not extant] fronting on East Franklin a few years earlier on his property adjacent to this building. By 1931, a car repair shop and paint shop was established in the Baldwin building complex. The Baldwin Garage building does not meet the criteria of thr NRHP for architectural significance because of a lack of integrity. However, its has sufficient architectural character to contribute to the historica character of the proposed Water Street Historic District. Examples of similar early concrete block construction are located at 116 EastFranklin (MO27/12) and 215 South Water (MO24/16).

(A) Historic name, date of construction: tax rolls. (B) Sparta Herald 5/7/1925. (C) City of Sparta, WI, Tax Records, 1922-1930. (D) Sanborn Insurance Map, City of Sparta, 1889, 1894, 1900, 1911, 1922, 1931. (E) Sparta City Directory, 1903-1904. Sparta: R.C. Glover, Publisher, 1904. (F) City Directory of the City of Sparta, Wisconsin. Sparta: compiled and published by E.B. Bell, 1916.

Water Street Commercial Historic District

Nov 12, 1992

Jul 03, 1992

Yes