The Lake Mendota side of the 100 block of East Gorham Street contains a large area used for surface parking that backs up to a sizeable carriage house. The carriage house and the two stately homes flanking it are within Madison’s Mansion Hill Historic District and were all constructed during its period of significance. On May 19, the Landmarks Commission is scheduled to consider a proposal to construct a new building in front of the carriage house.

In 2021, Madison’s Common Council okayed the demolition of these two adjacent Alpha Chi Sigma fraternity houses in the 600 block of North Lake Street so they could be replaced by an eight-story apartment building that reserved two floors for the fraternity’s continued use. Both of the fraternity houses contributed to the Langdon Street National Register Historic District. Now that they have been torn down and the new building constructed, the fraternity is no longer a participant. Find out what little we know about this disappointing turn of events.

The twists and turns were many, but as of February 25, the City of Madison has a new demolition ordinance. Last month’s Advocacy News raised concerns whether the original draft of the proposed ordinance would make it more difficult for buildings with historic value to survive a demolition application. That dark outlook seems to be somewhat lighter due to the strong efforts from a wide range of historic preservation supporters.

In the early 1900s, Madison saw a wave of homes built with a bold new material—concrete block. Cement contractor William Febock’s 1907 bungalow was among the first, showcasing a trend that would shape neighborhoods across the city. This post explores the origins, styles, and lasting charm of early concrete block houses, from modest bungalows to grand Queen Annes. Discover how innovation met tradition in Madison’s historic homes.

Gates of Heaven Synagogue is one of the smaller landmark buildings in Madison. It is also one of the most visible given its location at North Gorham and East Butler Streets, a site to which it was moved in July of 1971. For more than 100 years, the synagogue stood on West Washington Avenue. This is the story of the Old Synagogue in its original location.

With three-sided footprints, the Suhr Building and the Jackman Building are examples of a “flatiron,” a common building form in Madison thanks to the street plan devised by James Duane Doty when he was pitching the isthmus, then occupied by the Ho-Chunk, as the capital of the new Wisconsin Territory in 1836. This month we look at this popular building form and where we see it in our community.