National Register of Historic Places

Orton Park

Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin
Listed
December 18, 1978
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
78000091

About this property

Orton Park is a public park located at 1100 Spaight Street in Madison, Wisconsin. The land was designated as a public cemetery in 1846, the same year Madison was chartered as a village. Madison quickly outgrew the cemetery, and by the 1850s the Common Council was already looking for a larger site. In 1877, the graves located at the site were moved to Forest Hill Cemetery. The site officially opened as a park in 1887, making it the first public park in Madison. Other proposals for the site included a beer garden and a hospital. It was named after Wisconsin Supreme Court justice Harlow S. Orton. The park has hosted neighborhood events since its creation; these originally included concerts and ice cream socials, and have more recently included a farmer's market and neighborhood festival. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1978. It is located within the Orton Park Historic District, which is also listed on the National Register.

Location

1100 Spaight St.
Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin
43.08111, -89.36292

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTSOCIAL 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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Everything a full report reveals about Orton Park

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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.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Clarke, Bascom B., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Curtis-Kittleson House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Lougee, George A., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Orton Park Historic District
Pre Contact
0.1 mi
Cutter, Judson C., House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

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

Questions about this property

When was Orton Park listed on the National Register?

Orton Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Orton Park?

Orton Park is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Orton Park?

The period of significance for Orton Park is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Orton Park?

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