2026: A Year of Preservation, Education and Advocacy
Make your donation go further — $20,000 further!
This means your $25 is now $50, your $250 is $500!
The Historic Preservation Awards event is always inspiring. It’s fascinating to see all the creative projects that receive awards and it’s exciting to feel the enthusiasm of the owners, designers and craftspeople who make them happen.
At the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation, we believe growth and historic preservation can, and should, go hand in hand. We see that balance in thoughtful new construction, sensitive infill and adaptive reuse projects that allow our community to move forward while honoring its past. Our annual Historic Preservation Awards celebrate these examples, and more, and the people who demonstrate that preserving our history and planning for our future are not mutually exclusive.
The Madison Trust had another very active year of education and advocacy work in 2026. Notably, we had another highly successful historic architecture walking tour season, presenting 85 tours, many of which were sold out. We also had a record turnout at one of our signature events, the Historic Preservation Awards, held in May at the historic UW-Madison Memorial Union.
Celebrating Madison’s Historic Places
The Shop Lofts, top by Dustin Oler and Justin Hanson, bottom by Christine Keuler Photography.
This year’s event highlighted a wide range of exceptional projects, including:
Adaptive reuse projects in historic buildings, such as the Atwood Music Hall in a former 1932 Art Deco church on Madison’s near east side and the Mendota Lake House B&B on Lake Mendota.
Restoration projects, such as the slate roofing and masonry project at the landmark Grace Episcopal Church on the Capitol Square.
Projects that repurpose historic buildings that give character to downtowns, such as The Shop Lofts apartments in Stoughton and the Edgerton Community Outreach building with supportive housing for veterans.
Infill projects that are compatible with historic neighborhoods, such as The Dylin Hotel on Madison’s near east side which merged the historic Reynolds house and a warehouse façade into a modern hotel.
The Historic Preservation Awards event shows that there’s a lot of great preservation work being done and reminds us of the benefits of promoting preservation. If you haven’t attended the event, check it out in 2027!
Bringing History to Life Through Education
Our educational programs continued to introduce residents and visitors to Madison’s architectural history and the stories behind its neighborhoods.
Historic architecture walking tours: Our seasonal walking tours explored a wide range of Madison neighborhoods. We presented 85 tours during the year, many of which sold out. These highly visible programs introduce new audiences to the Madison Trust and demonstrate how historic buildings and neighborhoods contribute to the character of our city and make it a great place to live.
Frost Woods programming: We presented a sold-out specialty walking tour of the distinctive Frost Woods neighborhood in Monona, featuring its collection of midcentury International Style homes and the 1911 Bungalowen lakeside cottage. We also hosted two speaking programs exploring the history and significance of the newly recognized historic district.
Architectural Series: Landmarks: Through our Architectural Series, we offered engaging presentations exploring Madison’s historic places and the stories behind them. Programs examined why communities designate local landmarks, how digital technologies are changing historic preservation, and the history of Benjamin and Amy Butts, whose home is Madison’s newest designated landmark.
Member appreciation: Our annual member appreciation event took place at Circus World Museum in Baraboo. Guests enjoyed guided tours of restoration work at several Ringlingville buildings and learned more about other historic places throughout Baraboo.
Building partnerships: We brought members of our Preservation Partner community together for a Partner Happy Hour at Zebradog. The evening included conversation, networking and a behind-the-scenes look at Zebradog’s unique space in a historic Carnegie Library.
These programs are made possible by the dedication of our staff and volunteers, including the nearly 30 volunteer docents who share their knowledge and enthusiasm with tour guests throughout the season.
Making Preservation Part of Madison’s Future
As Madison continues to grow and evolve, there are important preservation considerations to keep in the conversation. We recognize the importance of affordable housing, improved transit and good jobs in building a strong community. We also believe that growth and preservation can work together.
Our goal is to help ensure that the historic buildings, places and character that make Madison unique are thoughtfully considered as our community plans for the future.
Throughout the past year, we worked to keep historic preservation part of the conversation as Madison continues to grow and evolve. Through Advocacy News, we kept the community informed about important preservation issues, while also sharing our perspective through media interviews, conversations with public officials and participation in public hearings.
Our efforts included:
Contributing to the Downtown Plan: We participated in City meetings and open houses as Madison updates its Downtown Plan, offering input on the importance of recognizing and incorporating historic buildings and places into the City’s vision for future growth.
Advocacy News: We regularly publish Advocacy News to inform our members and the community about important historic preservation issues in Madison and beyond. Topics range from proposed demolitions and development projects to changes in preservation policies and the future of significant historic places. By sharing background information, explaining the issues and highlighting opportunities for public involvement, we help community members stay informed and make their voices heard.
116–124 E. Gorham Street (Brown Family property): We engaged in discussions about proposals for a new apartment building at this historic property, which includes one of Madison’s last remaining carriage houses. We encouraged a design that would better complement the historic buildings and character of the surrounding block. The project was ultimately approved with a smaller, improved design that is more sympathetic to its historic setting.
Connecting with City planning staff: We met with City of Madison planning staff to share the Madison Trust’s mission and perspective, and to discuss how preservation can be considered alongside the City’s development goals.
Growing Our Capacity to Serve
Another important step this year was welcoming part-time Tour & Communications Coordinator Sophie Gitlin, who works alongside Program Director Jennifer Gurske. This additional staff support has expanded our ability to serve our members and the public and respond to growing interest in our programs.
Our work continues to grow thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and staff and the generous support of our members, donors and community partners. We want to build on this momentum and do even more in the year ahead.
Photo: Sophie (front right) with volunteer docents preparing for the 2026 tour season
Help Us Make a Difference in 2027
The Madison Trust’s work depends on people who believe that our historic buildings, neighborhoods and places are worth protecting. Whether you participate in a walking tour, volunteer your time, support our programs or make a financial contribution, you help strengthen our preservation community.
This year, an anonymous group of former and current members of our Board of Trustees has pledged a dollar-for-dollar match on the first $20,000 in year-end donations received by December 31, 2026. That means your contribution can go twice as far in supporting our education, advocacy and community engagement efforts.
Please consider making a year-end gift by December 31 and help us build on this year's progress. Donating is quick and easy!
Donate ONLINE: Make Your Year-End Gift
Donate via MAIL: Download this donation form, print and send with your check (payable to the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation). Mail to:
Madison Trust for Historic Preservation
PO Box 296
Madison, WI 53701
Gifts are tax deductible as permitted by law.
Thank you for being part of the Madison Trust community. Together, we can celebrate the places that tell Madison’s story, advocate for their future and help ensure that our city’s historic character remains part of what makes it special.
Need to renew your membership?
For those of you who typically renew your Madison Trust membership at this time, please send those renewals separately. Head over to our Membership page. Our end-of-year donations are designated differently than membership renewals in our accounting records and are not included in the match.
Questions
If you have any questions regarding this campaign or about the Madison Trust, please contact our Program Director Jennifer Gurske, at info@madisonpreservation.org, (608) 441-8864, or Board of Trustees President Rick Chandler at president@madisonpreservation.org.