You had a chance in the previous edition of the Advocacy News to learn some of the background information relating to a proposed infill development in front of this carriage house at 124 E. Gorham St. in the Mansion Hill Historic District. The complicated project was the subject of a public hearing and review by the Landmarks Commission on May 19.

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.

There are times we must re-imagine a familiar place that can no longer be seen. That happens when we conjure up a demolished building, perhaps as we drive by a construction site in Madison and have only a vague memory of what was recently removed. The rustiness of our memory varies from person to person, depending on the building itself, the site, and its context—as well as its connection to our own lives and its role in the community.

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.