Presentation held for Blackhawk Historic District

 By Steve Van Kooten

The Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) held a public information meeting for the Blackhawk Historical District in Prairie du Chien on May 5 at 5 p.m. in the City Hall’s upstairs conference room.

Seven people were in attendance for the meeting, including two city representatives and two people who own property within the district.

On the north side of Blackhawk Avenue, the proposed district stretches from North Main Street east to the alley between North Michigan Street and North Wacouta Avenue. On the south side of the street, it goes from North Main Street three blocks to the east.

“It’s very linear and cohesive,” said Elizabeth Hilton, the SHPO national registry coordinator. “You have all of those buildings on the block that are glued together, and when you walk or drive down it, you get the sense of what that history was like.”

The State Historic Preservation Review Board will vote on whether the nominated districts and properties will be elected to the registry on May 16. Within 90 days of that decision, the National Parks Service will determine if the district will be listed nationally.

According to City Planner Nate Gilberts, establishing the area as a historic district started after the city observed other municipalities go through the process.

“We looked around other areas that have historic downtowns — there’s a lot of them — so we figured Prairie du Chien is the second oldest community in Wisconsin, so why aren’t we pursuing this?” he said.

The registry was established in 1966 as part of the National Historical Preservation Act.

“It’s an official list of significant places,” said Hilton. “This can be an individual residence, building or bridge. It can also be a district or even a sculpture.”

Prairie du Chien already has some properties listed on the registry, including the Villa Louis, the Surgeon’s Quarters and Rock School. The Blackhawk District has three buildings that are already on the national registry (W.H.C. Folsom House, the original City Hall building and the Commercial Hotel).

“Prairie du Chien is really interesting because they’re some of the first [Wisconsin] properties that were listed on the National Historic Landmark List, which means they have nationwide significance,” she said.

To determine a property or district’s eligibility for the registry, the Parks Service established four criteria: the property’s association with single events, association with significant individuals, architecture and engineering contributions and archaeological deposits.

According to Tracie Schnell, who wrote the district’s nomination, Blackhawk District qualifies under two criteria: the commercial history of Prairie du Chien and the architecture of the structures contained within it.

The period of significance for the commercial history of the district is between 1847 and 1975, which starts with the Folsom House’s use as a commercial property. For architectural significance, the period is 1842 to 1970.

Districts have contributing and non-contributing structures. Contributors add to the significance of the area’s historical status.

The Blackhawk District has 41 buildings and one structure, of which 36 are considered contributing to the district’s historical significance.

Non-contributors are structures that no longer have integrity due to alterations or are not from the period of significance.

“Just because we’re saying a building is non-contributor today doesn’t mean they can’t be considered contributing in the future,” said Schnell. “They could make some repairs to try and bring it back to that time frame 50 years ago.”

Tax Credits

Hilton said that one of the perks of owning property in a historical district is the potential access to financial assistance for building projects.

“It can help protect your property from state- or federal-funded activities, and you can get help rehabilitating the property through the tax credits,” she said.

Commercial property owners can receive 20-percent income tax credits from the state and federal government for the cost of rehabilitating historical properties. All interior and exterior work to the structure is eligible for the credits, and a minimum investment from the property owner is required.

For homeowners in the district, a 25-percent state income tax credit is available for rehabilitation projects. Exterior work, heating, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical work are the eligible expenses. Projects must have a minimum of $10,000 in eligible work to qualify.

“In order to convey one or more of these criteria, you have to retain integrity and that means you have to have some of the design materials or workmanship from when it was constructed or from that period of significance,” said Hilton.

All rehabilitation projects must receive advanced approval from the State Historical Preservation Office or National Park Service.

The state and federal credits can be used separately from each other, and a property must be listed on the registry to apply for them.

According to Gilberts, the impetus to establish the Blackhawk District was to access tax credits for building projects.

“People were asking for them to help get the buildings up to snuff,” he said.

Other notable features of the tax-credit programs include

• Nonprofits can apply for the state tax credits (but not the federal) and sell the credits to a developer.

• Applications for tax credits have separate 30-day review periods for state and federal credits that can be expedited under certain circumstances.

• Owners can submit multiple projects for tax credits, and the credits are 20 percent for each project.

• Projects that were completed previously or are in process are not eligible because they were not pre-approved.

• New furniture or an addition to a property are projects that would not be covered by the tax credit programs.

• Time frames for tax-credit projects can be on a two- or five-year plan, according to Hilton.

For more information about tax credit programs, contact reviewers at taxcredits@wisconsinhistory.org.

Pride

Hilton clarified that a listing on the registry is “purely an honorific designation.”

“There are a lot of misconceptions about the National Register. We are not here to tell you what you can and cannot do to houses or commercial buildings listed on the National Register.”

Hilton said that owners are not required to open their property to the public, are not restricted on the color they paint their property and can make changes to the property as long as they are approved by the Wisconsin Historical Society. All buildings 50 years or older are not eligible for the registry, and properties listed on the registry do not require review by the local historic preservation commission.

“This is your private property, and if you want to renovate your kitchen or your bathroom, we don’t have any problems with that, but if you want some assistance in maintaining your historic building, then you can get the tax credits.”

Hilton clarified that there are also local landmarks and historical designations that are separate from the state and national registries.

She delineated between state/national registries and local designations, saying that the latter are administered by the local government (in this case the city of Prairie du Chien), which can require properties to comply with local zoning ordinances, impose a review process for any action requiring a building permit and enforce local design guidelines.

For further information, contact Elizabeth Hilton at elizabeth.hilton@wisconsinhistory.org or 608-264-6490.