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60 E MAIN ST

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Property Record

60 E MAIN ST

Historic Name:
ROBERTSON BLOCK

Other Name:
BEAUTY BOUTIQUE/ JUST KIDS/ WAGNER'S TV

Reference Number:
46220

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Property Location

Location (Address)

60 E MAIN ST

County

Grant

City/Village

Platteville

Township

Unincorporated community

Town

Range

Direction

Section

Quarter Section

Quarter Quarter Section

Property Features

Year Built

1871

Additions

Survey Date

1983

Historic Use

large retail building

Architectural Style

Italianate

Structural System

Wall Material

Brick

Architect

Other Buildings On Site

Demolished

No

Demolished Date

Additional Comments

OCCUPYING A CORNER SITE ON MAIN STREET, THIS TWO-STORY BRICK BLOCK WITH A FLAT, SLOPING ROOF HAS A DENTICULATED AND CUT-BRICK CORNICE THAT RUNS AROUND TWO SIDES OF THE STRUCTURE. LOZENGES ON THE FRONT FACADE AND VERTICAL MEMBERS ON THE SIDE EMBELLISH THE AREA BETWEEN THE SECOND STORY WINDOWS AND THE ROOF-LINE. ROUND ARCHED, STONE WINDOW HOODS WITH KEYSTONES AND SILLS ACCENT THE STRUCTURE. THE TWO STORE FRONTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY ALTERED IN THE COMTEMPORARY PERIOD. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE: IMPORTANT TO THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT BECAUSE OF ITS SIZE, THIS EARLY BRICK BLOCK IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF ARCHITECUTRE FROM THIS PERIOD. UNFORTUNATELY, THE STREET LEVEL FACADE HAS BEEN ALTERED COMPLETELY. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE: JOHN ROBERTSON WAS BORN IN SCOTLAND IN 1824; HE CAME TO PLATTEVILLE AS A JEWELER IN 1858, AFTER WORKING IN BELOIT FROM 1853 TO 1854 AND IN LANCASTER FROM 1854 TO 1855. ROBERTSON HAD THIS BUILDING ERECTED IN 1874. IT HOUSED HIS JEWELRY STORE AND HIS PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY - "ROBERTSON'S ART GALLERY." IN 1892 THE BUILDING HOUSED A POST OFFICE. AT ONE POINT IN TIME, CAPITAL CAFE CONDUCTED BUSINESS THERE. THE DATE OF CONSTRUCTION FOR THIS STRUCTURE OCCURRED BETWEEN 1871 AND 1874. THE INTENSIVE SURVEY REPORT GIVES A MORE SPECIFIC DATE AS BEING 1874. (SEE BIB. REF. A).

Bibliographic References

A. BUILDING PLAQUE. B. SANBORN-PERRIS MAPS, CITY OF PLATTEVILLE, 1884, 1892.

National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings

National/State Register Listing Name

Main Street Commercial Historic District

National Register Listing Date

Mar 09, 1990

State Register Listing Date

Jan 01, 1989

Contributing

Yes

large retail building Italianate

Grant
County

Platteville
Community

1870-1879
Decade

National and State Register Listing

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Attribution

For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.

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