Cast Iron

By Michael Bridgeman

Cast iron is an ancient material. By the eighteenth century it was employed in the United States for framing industrial buildings and by the 1840s was used for cast-iron façades. As it became popular across the country in the 1850s, decorative cast-iron appeared on Madison buildings, too. For architectural purposes it could be put to many uses, structural and decorative, since it was easily cast in a range of forms and styles, and it was inexpensive, especially compared to stone. [a]

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Madison’s second capitol building [1]

The most monumental use of cast iron in Madison was the dome of the city’s second capitol. Construction began in 1859 to plans by Samuel Donnell and August Kutzbock. When the time came to erect the dome, however, Kutzbock’s original design was set aside in favor of a cast-iron dome designed by Stephen Vaughn Shipman that emulated the new dome of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., completed in 1869. [b] Madison’s second capitol was replaced by the present edifice, completed in 1917 with a granite-clad dome supported by a steel skeleton.

 

The 100 block of East Main Street [2]

 

Cast iron found a wide range of architectural uses, mostly decorative, in nineteenth century Madison as seen on the storefronts in the 100 Block of East Main Street. Here are tips for finding more storefronts, windowsills and lintels, roof cresting, cornices, gutters, balustrades, railings, grilles, fountains, lampposts, and other vestiges of cast iron in Madison and the surrounding area.

Consider Age

Madison’s “iron age” for decorative cast-iron extended from the city’s first boom in the 1850s into the early 20th century. The most exuberant ironwork in Madison dates to 1857-58 at the Carrie Pierce House (424 N. Pinckney St.) designed by Donnell and Kutzbock. [c] This extraordinary mansion was built when ornamental iron was enjoying rising popularity. The lacy metalwork atop the portico and on the southeast porch is wrought iron, while the columns and much of the other detail are cast iron.

 

The Plough Inn [5]

 

The Plough Inn (3402 Monroe St.) displays a nice collection of anchor plates—two stars affixed to the exterior at the first-floor level and three diamonds at the second floor. These cast-iron anchors are connected to wrought-iron tie rods that help keep exterior walls from pulling away from the building frame. The Plough Inn was built in 1853 and the stabilizing system was probably installed later. Anchor plates are not high-level artifacts, but it’s fun to find them and know what they are.

Behold the Bolts

Bolts are a trusty way to identify cast iron. Standardized parts could be made in a factory, transported almost anywhere by ship or rail, and assembled on site, usually with bolts. The column detail from the Pierce House shows bolts on each of the leaves attached to the capital of the portico column.

 

Pierce House column detail [6]

 

This cast-iron remnant is from the lintel of a Madison building demolished in the 1960s. Notice the bolt hole in the leaf to the left; there’s no hole on the right because the bolt head is still in place. The fragment—about 15 inches wide and 11-1/2 inches high—is one-half inch thick. Since cast-iron details didn’t have to support much weight, the castings were thin.

 

Cast-iron remnant [7]

 

Spot the Maker’s Name

Commercial storefronts are the easiest places to see decorative cast iron, frequently a single column or a pair of pilasters framing an entry or display window. Look at the base of those components and you may find the manufacturer’s name in raised letters. The blue-painted pilaster above is at the Argus Building (121 E. Main St.) and embossed with M H BALL MADISON WIS. [d] The building dates to 1847, making it one of the oldest structures in Madison. The cast-iron elements were added during a remodeling in 1891-1892. The name on the red-painted base reads MADISON MANUFAC’G CO MADISON WIS. and is appears on the Philip Schoen Building (117 E. Main St.) built in 1875.

1875 ad, Madison Manufacturing Company [10]

The 1875 ad from Madison Manufacturing Company, the maker of the cast-iron detail on the Schoen Building, doesn’t mention architectural casting, which was probably a small part of their business. Much architectural cast iron was ordered through catalogs printed by distant makers.

Rust on a cast iron column [11]

Look for Rust

Rust is sure sign that a decorative element is metal, not wood or stone, but cast iron was not the only option. For example, sheet metal was often used in the nineteenth century for cornices. Architectural metal was usually painted to help prevent oxidation. If coated properly and maintained, cast iron can be serviceable for decades. But rust can still find its way. Cast iron has other drawbacks: it is brittle, performs poorly under tension, and is not as fire-resistant as early promoters had claimed.

The magnet test [12]

Consider the Unseen

Not all qualities of cast iron are visible. For example, it will attract a magnet. As with rust, this does not confirm that the component is iron, but it eliminates non-metallic materials. Use your bare hand, too; cast iron is generally cooler to the touch than other materials, particularly wood.

Use these guidelines and you’ll be able to find cast iron anywhere. Head to areas with “Victorian” buildings from about 1850 to 1900 in the Italianate, Romanesque Revival, Queen Anne, and Classical Revival styles. Cast iron is easiest to spot on commercial buildings, but don’t ignore houses and public buildings which may have cast iron columns, lintels, and other components. Mazomanie has a wonderful collection of cast iron on its downtown buildings. Oregon, Cambridge, and Stoughton are other good nearby destinations. For the nearest cast-iron façade, check out the Iron Block in Milwaukee.

Cast-iron planter at Period Garden Park [13]

Madison’s Period Garden Park has modern cast-iron pieces appropriate to its largely Victorian environs in the Mansion Hill Historic District. Lampposts were installed in about 1982, while a fountain [e] and three planters were added to the pocket park in 2008. The cast-iron planters were purchased with funds provided by the Madison Trust, Fred Mohs, and others. I’ll end with a 1902 photo of the Yahara Hotel, now Mickey’s Tavern (1524 Williamson St.). It shows adults, children, and a dog, but the real center of attention is the proud cast-iron column.

 

Yahara Hotel [14]

 

. . .

Notes

[a] Nineteenth century critics were pretty much unanimous in decrying “sham materials” as false, dishonest, or contemptible. As early as 1841, the English critic A.W.N. Pugin wrote: “Cast iron is a deception. It is seldom or never left as iron. It is disguised by paint, either as stone, wood, or marble. This is a mere trick...”. For this and more see: Pamela H. Simpson in Cheap, Quick & Easy: Imitative Architectural Materials, 1870-1930. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tenn. 1999. p. 136 ff

[b] Kutzbock committed suicide in 1868 when he drowned in Lake Mendota because, it is said, he was despondent over the rejection of his design for the dome. Kutzbock’s building and Shipman’s dome were a mismatch.

[c] The house was designed for Alexander and Francie McDonnell; he was the contractor on the capitol being erected at the same time. Other owners followed until 1906 when George and Carrie Pierce used it as their residence and a boarding house until 1938. It has been the Mansion Hill Inn since 1985. Nonetheless, historical designations have assigned Carrie’s name to the house.

[d] The 1892-93 Madison City Directory locates the Ball Foundry & Machine Works at 613-617 E. Main St., just a few blocks east of this building.

[e] The installation of a pump in 2016 made the fountain operable, a delight in the summer.

Image Credits

[1] Wisconsin Capitol, 1900. Postcard published by Detroit Photographic Co.

[2] Photo by Michael Bridgeman.

[3] https://mansionhillinn.com/

[4] Wisconsin Historical Society Architecture & History Index. AHI #16106.

[5] Wisconsin Historical Society Architecture & History Index. AHI #16107.

[6] Photo by Michael Bridgeman.

[7] Photo by Michael Bridgeman.

[8] Photo by Michael Bridgeman.

[9] Photo by Michael Bridgeman.

[10] Madison City Directory, 1875-6. Pryor & Company. Madison, Wis. 1875.

[11] Photo by Michael Bridgeman.

[12] Photo by Michael Bridgeman.

[13] Period Garden Park website. http://www.periodgardenpark.org/projects.htm

[14] Facebook, Historic Madison Wi. photo group. Post of 23 January 2024.

Madison Trust