Architecture and History in the WIS 57 Project Area

Architecture and History in the WIS 57 Project Area. From First Americans to Euroamericans. Architecture-History Studies , Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) requires federal agencies to take into account the effect their projects might have on historic properties such as buildings and landscapes as well as archaeological sites. Because the Federal Highway Administration provided funding for the WIS 57 project, architectural and historical research was conducted as part of the cultural resource investigations within the WIS 57 corridor.

The initial step in this process involves identifying the area of potential effect or APE. For the WIS 57 project, the APE was determined to be a 2400' wide corridor centered on the route of the new highway. The next step in the process is identification of all historic properties such as houses, barns, churches, commercial buildings, bridges, or landscapes within the APE. WIS 57 historians documented any standing property older than 50 years of age located within the APE. Fifty-six historic properties including a National Landmark Historic District were identified within the WIS 57 APE.

Within the WIS 57 study corridor, 22 properties were considered potentially eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The Section 106 process requires that efforts be made to avoid affecting potentially eligible properties. WIS 57 historians worked with WisDOT to redesign the WIS 57 route to avoid as many affected properties as possible. A major result of this effort was the decision to route the new highway out of the Namur Belgian-American National Historic Landmark District. Ultimately, only one property could not be avoided. A wayside chapel located at the intersection of CTH "S" and Bader Road was documented and then moved to a new location on the grounds of the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in nearby Champion, Wisconsin.

Namur Belgian-American National Historic Landmark District , The Namur Belgian-American National Historic Landmark District, the Nation's largest rural Belgian settlement, consists of 3,500 acres containing the most intact concentration of buildings, farmsteads and landscape features relating to the Belgian-American settlement of the Door Peninsula. The District is significant due to an Old World rural characteristic and a sense of time and place that is evident on the landscape. Land use and land divisions have changed little from the turn of the twentieth century to the present.

The District includes a unique combination of farmsteads, wayside chapels, commercial buildings, and schools. Brick house construction began following the devastating fire of 1871. Houses were built with locally-made red brick following traditional Belgian construction. A typical farmhouse was one and one-half story with a gable roof, rectangular plan, and often included a circular, bulls-eye window under the peak on the gable facing the road. Roadside chapels, similar in design to those found in Belgium, were built adjacent to roads by homeowners and were open to the public. Public education was important to the Belgians. Schools were constructed of stone or brick. Commercial structures such as cheese factories and general stores were important to the local agricultural communities.

August Draize Farmstead , This brick house built in 1880 features a front-gabled form, arched lintels, and a bulls-eye window, all characteristic of traditional Belgian-American architecture. These early twentieth century Belgian farmsteads typically included a house, barn, granary, chicken coop, and outhouse.

Joint District School No. 1 , The Joint District School No. 1 is a two-room Neoclassical building built in 1910. It features a center arched entry and recessed double doors with a large transom.

The Moise Langlais Farmstead , The house, granary, and summer kitchen were constructed ca. 1880. The summer kitchen (behind the house) and the granary (to the left) are rare examples of Belgian-American brick outbuildings.

Chapel of St. Roche/Intersection Wayside Chapel , The Chapel of St. Roche was constructed in 1915, and in 1968 was moved to its present location behind the Belgian American Club headquarters in Namur, Wisconsin. The Intersection Wayside Chapel was formerly located in Red River Township, Kewaunee County. The small wood and clapboard chapel built in 1900 was moved in 2003 to the property of the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help in Champion, Wisconsin.

Pierre Virlee and Company General Store , The Pierre Virlee and Company General Store is a red brick, two-story rectangular store built in 1895. The building was one of the earliest commercial buildings in Brussels and has an Italianate influenced cornice and arched lintels.