Waupun Commercial Historic District

Purpose

The City of Waupun has a primary interest in conserving the historical elements of the downtown district. This includes understanding and preserving its architectural and commercial history.

Overview

Working with the expert historic preservation consultants, the City of Waupun has submitted nomination papers to the United States Department of Interior's National Register of Historic Places. Creating a federally-recognized historic district in the downtown area will support future initiatives and create opportunities for local business owners, tourism, and residents. 

Downtown Description

The Waupun Commercial Historic District is located in the City of Waupun along four blocks of East Main Street. The district consists of a variety of 47 resources, almost all commercial storefront buildings oriented toward East Main Street. Its development begins with the district’s oldest building, Dodge Hall, a Commercial Vernacular, three-story building located at 321 East Main Street and constructed in 1856 and ends with the construction of the last contributing building in the district in 1967, the State Bank of Waupun, an International style bank located at 37 North Madison Street. The district has boundaries along both sides of four city blocks along East Main Street roughly from Watertown Street to the east and Forest Street to the west.

The Waupun Commercial Historic District represents the period of commercial development in Waupun from the 1850s to the 1960s. The district was the center of commercial life in Waupun during this period and was occupied by a variety of thriving businesses including dry goods stores, groceries, barbers, liveries, theaters, restaurants, taverns, and pharmacies, with office space and meeting halls occupying second and third-floor spaces above the first-floor storefronts. The district is identifiable by the largely uninterrupted block of masonry commercial buildings facing the primary right-of-way in the small city and is Waupun’s most architecturally intact historic commercial area.

The district is composed of commercial buildings representing a range of common design influences along with adjacent and shared governmental and institutional historic functions. Many buildings reflect the forms used in the design of such buildings while others have stylistic characteristics which identify them as being an example of a particular architectural style. Stylistic influences in the district include Front Gabled, Commercial Vernacular, Italianate, Queen Anne, Neoclassical, Twentieth Century Commercial, Contemporary, and International styles. The district has 42 contributing and five non-contributing resources. Of the non-contributing resources, their exclusion is due to a lack of architectural integrity; though in some cases this is limited only to their primary façade and future preservation activities may affect their status within the district. Also of note, one of the contributing resources is a sculptural object that contributes to this National Register listing.

Overall, the district is largely intact and recognizable from its historic period. Commercial properties are commonly altered over time to accommodate the changing needs of their occupants, and this is true within this district. Exterior changes to the buildings include window replacements in their original openings, siding replacements, additions, and other minor alterations commonly found in commercial buildings. Despite this, the district retains sufficient integrity to clearly convey its commercial history, and this collection of buildings along East Main Street is clearly identifiable as the business heart of Waupun.

More Information

Additional information and resources will be added to the city's website in the future. Questions can be directed to Kathy Schlieve, City Administrator.