Stoughton Main Street Design Guidelines and Landmark District Designation
- Preservation Planning
- Civic
- Cultural Resources
- Urban Planning
McGuire Igleski partnered with the City of Stoughton, Wisconsin, to develop updated design guidelines for the city’s downtown district, serving as a planning tool and providing guidance for property owners and businesses on preserving their historic properties. The groundwork of the design guidelines included an on-site survey and preparation of a historic overview of the district, identifying its key development periods and preservation goals. The guidelines provide information on the architectural and historical significance of the district, available financial incentives, and preservation recommendations and best practices while encouraging appropriate new infill construction and additions, guided by the district’s history, pattern of development, and rich architectural character.
In conjunction with the creation of the design guidelines, McGuire Igleski also prepared a Landmark Nomination Form for the Historic Downtown District, which encompasses the buildings that front East and West Main Street from the Yahara River on the west to Seventh Street on the east.
Stoughton, Wisconsin
City of Stoughton
½ mile corridor, 72 buildings
Stoughton’s historic downtown is the original city center for commerce, transportation, education, government, and recreation in the community. The area that would develop as Stoughton’s Main Street commercial corridor was predominantly constructed between 1860 and 1910. During this period, Stoughton evolved into a regionally significant mercantile center for southern Dane and northern Rock counties, providing the region with extensive retail, financial, and professional services. These historical uses continue to this day and are reflected in the district’s diverse buildings and unique streetscape. The district encompasses an architecturally significant collection of Victorian-era and early twentieth-century commercial buildings, sharing a cohesive unity in scale, material, and detail that is unsurpassed by commercial districts elsewhere in Dane County.