National Register of Historic Places

Old Ashland Post Office

Ashland, Ashland County, Wisconsin
Listed
January 21, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74000054

About this property

The Old Ashland Post Office is a historic building in Ashland, Wisconsin, United States. It now serves as the Ashland City Hall, which is what most people know it as, and refer to it as. It houses the offices of city government. It was designed by the noted federal architect Willoughby J. Edbrooke, and constructed in 1892-93 under the supervision of local architect H.P. Padley. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 for its architectural significance. The building is designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style, and constructed entirely of brownstone. The building is of special historic interest, and is a contributing resource within the West Second Street Historic District, of downtown Ashland. It is the tallest building in the Historic District, and one of the best local examples of fine architecture. The monumental three-story building features a prominent four-story tower, with a pyramidal-shaped roof. The tower no longer contains its bell, although the original bell still exists and is owned by the city, but kept in storage. The first story windows have brownstone voussoirs, and archivolt moldings. The second story windows are rectangular, and the third story windows and tower openings are arched at the top. The main entrance has a large foliated arch supported by clusters of short columns, all in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. A very old flat-roofed addition on the back (north) side is made of matching materials, and matches the exact style. This addition houses the present-day City Council meeting room. A highlight of the interior is a fine oak staircase, which leads to each floor, and up to the tower. The stairwell also has paneled wainscoting, which has been nicely restored. The building was made with locally quarried Apostle Island brownstone of excellent quality. However, there are signs of deterioration due to recent sand-blasting that occurred while the building, once a vocational school, was renovated for use as the City Hall. In the 2010s, the building was made handicap accessible, with a new ramp on the west side.

Location

601 West Second St.
Ashland, Ashland County, Wisconsin
46.58882, -90.88964

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

West Second Street Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Union Depot
Civil War
0.2 mi
Security Savings Bank
Industrial
0.2 mi
Ashland County Courthouse
Industrial
0.3 mi
Soo Line Depot
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Old Ashland Post Office listed on the National Register?

Old Ashland Post Office was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 21, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Old Ashland Post Office?

Old Ashland Post Office is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Old Ashland Post Office?

The period of significance for Old Ashland Post Office is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Old Ashland Post Office?

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