About this property
The South Main Street Historic District a fairly intact remnant of Janesville, Wisconsin's old downtown east of the Rock River, built in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1990 the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Commerce in Janesville began in Henry Janes' cabin, built in 1836, where the Lappin-Hayes block now stands at the intersection of East Milwaukee and Main Streets. From that cabin Janes operated a rustic inn, general store, post office, and a ferry across the Rock River. In 1840 Thomas Lappin built a frame general store on the same site, and in 1855 he built part of the Lappin block that stands today. Over time, other buildings were added around it - some of them in trendy architectural styles. The Bennett-Clapp Block at 12-16 S. Main St is a simple commercial building built in 1851 that suggests the Greek Revival style popular at that time with its regularly-spaced windows with simple lintels and sills. The block was built by Ensign H. Bennett and New Yorker J.F. Clapp. It initially housed Bennett and Bostwick Dry Goods, Tallman and Collins Drug Store, and John I. Spafford Dry Goods. By 1860 Treat and Gregory had a doctors' office upstairs. The Janesville Sack Co. #1 was another occupant. The Lappin-Hayes Block block at 2 S. Main St is a 4-story business block built in 1855 in Italianate style, with stores at ground level, a saloon in the basement, and above offices and an 800-seat auditorium called Lappin Hall. In 1899 new owners remodeled the building, adding the central lightwell and making over the exterior in the Queen Anne style that was by then popular. The Court Street Methodist Church at 38 S Main St was constructed in 1868 by a pragmatic Methodist congregation who designed the street level for commercial tenants while the congregation worshiped above. In 1905 the congregation sold the building to the Masonic Western Star lodge, which stayed there until 1965. J.C. Penney ran a department store in the building from 1920 to 1974. The architectural style of the building is Second Empire, signaled by the mansard roof of the building. The style was popular in the 1860s when the church was built, but is now rather uncommon in Janesville. The Fredendall Block at 33-39 S Main St is a 3-story cream brick commercial-apartment block designed by George F. Schultze and built in 1868-69, after a fire destroyed previous buildings on the site. Hiram J. Baker had one side built and John C. Fredendall the other side. The building's architectural style is Italianate, with the elaborate window hood moulds and cornice typical of that style. The block has housed "harness makers, grocery stores, meat markets, a bike shop, a bakery, ...clothing stores," and the Ryan Funeral Home.
Location
Categories
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.
Everything a full report reveals about South Main Street Historic District
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Questions about this property
When was South Main Street Historic District listed on the National Register?
South Main Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 31, 1990.
What type of historic resource is South Main Street Historic District?
South Main Street Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for South Main Street Historic District?
The period of significance for South Main Street Historic District is recorded as the modern era, specifically around 1990.
Can I research the history near South Main Street Historic District?
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 South Main Street Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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