This month our Advocacy Committee provides an update on the Hovde demolition proposal in Block 75 and the approval of the Mifflin Arcade demolition by the Plan Commissions this week.

Landmarks Commission misses the mark when it decides Law, Law & Potter’s Art Deco style Union Bus Station has “no known historic value.”

Common Council designates the Kathryn Clarenbach Home at 2229 Eton Ridge as a Madison Landmark. “Déjà vu all over again.” Revived effort to demolish three buildings in the 400 block of State Street.

With the inclusion in 2019 of the First Jacobs House in the Westmorland neighborhood of Madison in The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright serial site, our city has become home to a property inscribed on the World Heritage List. This house is significant due to the fact that it is considered the first of the series of Usonian houses designed by Wright, which were intended to be more affordable than the homes he had generally designed up to that point for wealthy clients. In our January Advocacy News, Charles Horton briefly describes what the World Heritage is, the process by which the Jacobs I House was deemed worthy of this honor, and what effects this may have on the property and on Madison in general.

The Madison Trust for Historic Preservation has nominated the Kathryn Clarenbach Family Residence at 2229 Eton Ridge for designation as a Madison Landmark.

This month we talk about 13 structures that would be demolished for the "Johnson and Broom" project and building height change in the First Settlement Neighborhood.

Several Madison Trust members have mentioned that it is difficult for them to keep up with historic preservation threats within the city. In many instances, they read about issues online or in print, but it is just before the matter is presented to a reviewing body. In other words, there isn’t enough time to follow up. Read our October Advocacy News to learn about ways we try to keep up with the changes happening in Madison.

The most recent development in this saga was a review by the Landmarks Commission on August 14 of a proposal by the owners of the parcel adjacent to Council Crest to construct a 4500-square-foot residence on that property. The proposal came in the form of an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) from the Landmarks Commission. A COA is a pre-requisite for any construction on a locally landmarked site. Read our quick Advocacy News to learn more.

Read about updates to the landmarked Old Spring Tavern site and the proposed redevelopment in the 400 block of State Street in our August Advocacy News.

Two historic preservation topics over the past nine months have received significant local press coverage. The loss of the Filene House, next door to the Yahara River on Sherman Avenue, seems to indicate that for many, the absence of architectural distinctiveness trumps historical significance. The Old Spring Tavern, a former stagecoach stop on the way to Mineral Point, is an ongoing exploration of the relationship between a landmark and its site.

It is important that our members and the public understand the important role their local government plays in the protection of local heritage, and the authority their elected representatives use to make decisions concerning the preservation and demolition of historic buildings.

We invited alder candidates to respond to the following questions and them make them available to you. The Madison Trust feels the preservation of our diverse cultural heritage makes Madison a more interesting and more desirable place to live. We encourage local politicians to reflect on how this diversity establishes a civic identity and promotes a positive sense of place.

Adaptive reuse is important for preserving the range of our rich architectural inventory from modest residences to larger commercial buildings. This month we hear from Bob Klebba who presents a few of these developments that have been approved and are underway around our community.

On February 7, the Madison Common Council Will Consider the Filene House Landmark Nomination

This month, we hear an update on the Filene House landmark nomination as it goes to Common Council on February 7 and how you can express your support.

Filene House Threatened

This month we hear from Madison resident John Rolling about the threat on the Filene House and his work on a Madison Landmark designation.

Update – The Old Spring Tavern Fight Continues

To preserve this property in its historic form, we encourage concerned citizens to help in this process. There are still many actions we can take to try to prevent adverse changes to this historic property.

Update on the Old Spring Tavern (3706 Nakoma Road)

On Monday, August 29, 2022, the Plan Commission was asked to approve a Certified Survey Map (CSM) that reflected the new lot lines. Read Kurt Stege’s update on this property.

Landmarks Commission’s Decision
Splitting the Old Spring Tavern Property is Heartbreaking and Flawed

This month we hear from Kurt Stege, advocacy committee co-chair, about the recent decision regarding the Old Spring Tavern.

The Advocacy News this month focuses on two topics.

• Plan Commission Expected to Take Up Large Project in 400 Block of State Street on July 11

• Hill Farms Office Building Imperiled

Now That Preservation Month Has Ended . . .

June 2022 Advocacy Developments:

• Major Landmark Ordinance revisions adopted

• North Blount Street demolition request considered

• 400 block of State Street project update

As Preservation Month Begins . . .
Updates on demolitions proposed for Blount Street, State Street and University Avenue

In the April, March and October newsletters, you read about three separate proposals to demolish historic buildings in central Madison. Two of those demolition applications are being opposed by the Madison Trust. These buildings cannot speak. Your voice is important. Suggestions of how to be heard are at the end of first two updates in the link below.