National Register of Historic Places

Cooley, Eli R., House

Racine, Racine County, Wisconsin
Listed
April 10, 1973
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
73000273

About this property

The Eli R. Cooley House is a Greek Revival-styled house built in the early 1850s in Racine, Wisconsin. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and has been described as "Wisconsin's finest remaining Greek Revival residence." The Cooley house was begun in 1851, designed by Racine-based architect Lucas Bradley. The front of the 2-story central block especially resembles a Greek Temple, with its portico consisting of four colossal fluted Doric columns supporting a simple entablature and pediment. A 1+1⁄2-story wing extends from each side of the main block. The corners are trimmed with pilasters, and the windows are tall, 3x4 panes. The house is clad in clapboard. A tall masonry chimney rises from the central block and one from the end of each wing. All is symmetric except the entry door, which is offset to the left. Inside the front door is a hall which runs from front to back. The north wing holds a drawing room with a white marble fireplace, plaster cornice, and wooden door and window frames. The rest of the first floor contains sitting rooms, a dining room, and kitchen. Bedrooms are upstairs. The house was built by John McHenry, a grocer. Eli Cooley lived there; he was a hardware merchant and third mayor of Racine. O. Jennings lived in the house in 1858, and E.C. Deane in 1893. Judge Charles E. Dyer also lived there. By 1942 the house was in "deplorable condition," when William and Amanda Kuehneman bought it and carefully restored it.

Location

1135 S. Main St.
Racine, Racine County, Wisconsin
42.71918, -87.78203

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Hall, Chauncey, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Southside Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Hardy, Thomas P., House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Racine County Courthouse
Industrial
0.4 mi
United Laymen Bible Student Tabernacle
Industrial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Cooley, Eli R., House listed on the National Register?

Cooley, Eli R., House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 10, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Cooley, Eli R., House?

Cooley, Eli R., House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Cooley, Eli R., House?

The period of significance for Cooley, Eli R., House is recorded as the industrial era.

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