Historic Preservation Program
Historic Preservation Summary
Landmarks Commission Meetings
- 16 Virtual Landmarks Commission Meetings
- 1 In-Person Special Landmarks Commission Meeting
Project Reviews
- 31 Project Reviews
- 30 Approved Projects
- 60 Demolition/Historic Value Reviews
- 1 Local Landmark Review
- 3 Advisory Recommendations to Plan Commission and Urban Design Commission
- 208 Staff Approvals
Historic Districts and Landmark Properties
Work continues to take place within the city's historic districts and on landmark properties. The City issued 238 Certificates of Approval. A Certificate of Approval is needed to make certain changes to properties in historic districts and landmark properties. Most projects reviewed by the Landmarks Commission were for additions to historic structures. Projects also included demolitions and new accessory structures.
The Landmarks Commission reviewed two infill projects for new buildings in the historic districts. One proposal was to update the design of a previously approved project at 656 Williamson Street. The other was to construct a new building at 124 East Gorham Street. The project is located on a surface parking lot in front of an 1860s carriage house. The project combined the 1860s carriage house property with the Brown House property. The Brown House is a local landmark at 116 East Gorham Street. The adaptive reuse of the carriage house and the new building with structured parking allows for additional housing that still fits in with existing development in this historic neighborhood.
On March 25, 2025, the Common Council designated 633 East Johnson Street as the 184th landmark. The house was the home of Benjamin and Amy Butts, leaders in Madison's early African American community. Benjamin had been born into slavery and freed himself during the Civil War, attaching himself to a Wisconsin unit in the war. After the war, he travelled with some of the soldiers, who helped him establish himself as a barber. Amy was from Wisconsin, and together with Benjamin, they hosted African American boarders in their house. They helped people find housing, jobs, and get an education. The two were founding members of a number of cultural institutions. This includes St Paul's AME Church, Capital City Lodge #2 of Prince Hall Masons, and the East Dayton African American neighborhood.
Landmarks Commission
The Landmarks Commission had its annual in-person meeting for training and policy planning. The Commission completed a training on the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. They also discussed the 5-year check in on the Historic Preservation Plan. They recommended that the City pursue a Certified Local Government grant. The grant would support creating a historic context of public and commercial architecture of the 1960s-1980s. The Wisconsin Historical Society and National Park Service awarded the grant, and work is expected to start in 2026-2027.
The Landmarks Commission also worked on an update to the Historic Preservation Ordinance. The update provided more flexibility for alterations to historic structures. It also changed some of the language used in the Historic Preservation Ordinance. The Landmarks Commission now refers to Certificates of Appropriateness as Certificates of Approval. The Commission removed the term “work of a master" from the Historic Preservation Ordinance. Instead, the Historic Preservation Ordinance discusses buildings designed by an architect of note. Common Council approved these amendments, which went into effect on June 27, 2025.