In August 1992 thirty-four commercial buildings in Mazomanie were placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service. They represent nearly all of the old commercial portion of the village and give the district a distinctive nineteenth-century appearance. In 1993 a restoration effort began when the depot was renovated for use as a public library and historical research center.
Architecturally, the majority of the district's buildings are classified as Commercial Vernacular or Astylistic Utilitarian. There is one 'boom town' structure, one barn-like livery building, and one Italianate style structure.
Thirteen buildings use cast iron supports in their facades. Many of the building exteriors, although altered in some respect, are remarkably intact. Even some interiors reveal much of their original construction and detail.
The oldest structures are the stone-construction Lynch and Walker Flouring Mill and the frame-construction Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad Depot, both dating from 1857. The 1935 Mazomanie Community Building is the most recent structure.
The J.A. Schmitz building had a second floor hall in which plays, graduation exercises, and travelling shows were presented. Here, in 1882, the Ringling brothers from Baraboo gave the first performance of their Classic and Comic Concert Company, the forerunner of their circus.
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[Photo captions, from top, read]
Looking north on Brodhead Street - about 1895
Business District - 1911
J.A. Schmitz Store - about 1900
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Mazomanie Downtown Historic District [Map]
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