National Register of Historic Places

Madison Waterworks

Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin
Listed
August 17, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80000125

About this property

Madison Waterworks, also known as Nichols Station, is a historic building on East Gorham Street between North Franklin and North Hancock in Madison, Wisconsin. The building was built in 1917 as part of an effort to overhaul Madison's municipal water system; in addition to its new pumping station, the city also began supplying its water system from Lake Mendota rather than artesian wells. To maintain the city's water supply during construction, the new pumping station was built around the original. Architects Balch & Lippert designed the building in a functional interpretation of the Prairie School style with mock turrets, a parapet along the roof, and several gables. The city reused elements of the design in many of the later buildings it built for the water system. The building originally included two Allis-Chalmers steam pumping engines, one of which still remained when the station was decommissioned in 1976; according to the Historic American Engineering Record, it is a rare surviving example of a large steam pumping engine. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 18, 1980.

Location

Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin
43.08017, -89.38323

Categories

ENGINEERINGPOLITICS/GOVERNMENT
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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Madison Waterworks

This page lists Madison Waterworks. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Madison Waterworks report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Bernard-Hoover Boathouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Old Executive Mansion
Industrial
0.2 mi
Bashford, Robert M., House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Collins, William, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Miller House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Wisconsin — Civil War Mutiny — 14th Wisconsin Infantry
1862Civil War
1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Madison Waterworks listed on the National Register?

Madison Waterworks was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 17, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Madison Waterworks?

Madison Waterworks is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Madison Waterworks?

The period of significance for Madison Waterworks is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Madison Waterworks?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Madison Waterworks will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Dane County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Dane County.

Explore DaneCounty ›

More historic places in Wisconsin

Browse all historic places in Wisconsin.

View Wisconsinhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Wisconsin history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Wisconsinhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Madison Waterworks will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report