Evert's 1873 Atlas

History of Rock County

The City of Janesville

--Public Buildings--

We deem it safe and beyond the show of contradiction to say that no town in the State with the same population can boast of a better class of buildings than can Janesville; most of them are built of brick, are large, substantial, and expensive, while in style of architecture they are in keeping with the most modern designs. Very gratifying progress has been made in this direction in the past few years, old and more modest-appearing structures have been torn away to make room for more stately and expensive edifices. The new court-house, erected at a cost of over $100,000, is second to none in the State, proportionate in point of size and elegance to the business requirements and wealth of Rock County. The same might be said of the church and school buildings, several of which are among the finest in the State. We might make special mention of the Congregational, the Baptist, and the Court Street Methodist; these are all large and elegantly finished structures. The Congregational is perhaps the most expensive, erected at a cost of $50,000; it has comfortable room for the seating of about one thousand people. These buildings are all of Milwaukee brick; the furniture, frescoing, upholstering, etc., is complete in each of them. They all have good pipe organs, the one in the Congregational being, perhaps, as fine a one as is in the State. In addition to the three already mentioned there are nine other good church buildings, being twelve in all, and owned by the following-named societies: Methodist (two), Episcopalians (two), Congregational, Baptist, Presbyterian, Unitarian, Roman Catholic, German, and Universalist. All these buildings are of a creditable class, sufficiently large to comfortably serve the entire church-going community. The total value of church edifices and church property in Janesville will amount to $320,000. There are four large and elegant school buildings in the city, one to each ward. The buildings and school property all estimated will amount to about $120,000. All the buildings are equipped with the most modern conveniences, in the way of desks, school charts, apparatus, heating furnaces, etc.

In addition to those mentioned, there are many other buildings and blocks worthy of special note, had we the space to go into detail. While all the business rows in the city are of the best, we would make special mention of the Myres House block and Opera House, Smith's block, Jackman and Smith's block, Lappin's block, First National Bank building, and Dr. Mitchell's block; all these are imposing and costly edifices, and would do honor to towns of greater pretensions. In the city there are many beautiful streets and avenues, affording opportunity for driving surpassed by no city west of Chicago. The private residences are of the most modern architecture and would do credit to any city. This atlas contains lithographic views of many of the finest.

The State institution for the education of the blind is located at Janesville; the buildings stand in a beautiful small grove on an eminence overlooking almost the entire city. Cost of building and grounds about $160,000. In this institution the blind of the State are educated in all the common-school branches and music free; the young men are also taught the trade of broom-making. There are ample accommodations for one hundred and twenty pupils.

Last updated July 28, 2002 -- Copyright 2002 Lori Niemuth