National Register of Historic Places

Fargo, L. D., Public Library

Lake Mills, Jefferson County, Wisconsin
Listed
January 18, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82000675

About this property

The L. D. Fargo Public Library is a historic public library at 120 E. Madison Street in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. Businessman Lorenzo Dow Fargo donated funds for the library to Lake Mills in 1899; the building was completed in 1902. Prolific Milwaukee architects George Ferry and Alfred Clas, who also designed several other Wisconsin libraries, designed the library; Ferry went on to serve on the library's board. The library's design incorporates elements of Gothic Revival and Tudor Revival architecture. The two-story building has a rough fieldstone exterior, a projecting entrance block with a bargeboard roof above the entrance, four steep dormers with matching bargeboard on the front facade, and a steeple atop the gable roof. When it opened, the library became a local community center as well, and both the local women's club and the city's branch of the Women's Christian Temperance Union used it as their headquarters. The library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and on the State Register of Historic Places in 1989. It is still in use as the city's public library.

Location

120 E. Madison St.
Lake Mills, Jefferson County, Wisconsin
43.08076, -88.91068

Categories

ARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
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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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Fargo, Enoch J., House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Mulberry Street Residential Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Pioneer Aztalan Site
Listed
2.6 mi
Aztalan
Modern
2.6 mi
St. Wenceslaus Roman Catholic Church
Civil War
5.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fargo, L. D., Public Library listed on the National Register?

Fargo, L. D., Public Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 18, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Fargo, L. D., Public Library?

Fargo, L. D., Public Library is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fargo, L. D., Public Library?

The period of significance for Fargo, L. D., Public Library is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Fargo, L. D., Public Library?

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