Mayor's Community Update - 05/24/2019

Greetings!  A year ago we submitted nomination papers for the creation of a Waupun Commercial Historic District in the City of Waupun.  On Friday, May 17, 2019, the WI Historical Society held a public meeting to review the nomination and we received word that our commercial district has been approved for inclusion on the State’s Historic Registry.  The District is identified as the area between Fond du Lac Street to Forest Street and includes buildings on Madison Street to the North and South of Main Street.  The State Register is Wisconsin’s official list of state properties determined to be significant to Wisconsin’s heritage.  The nomination now moves to the National Park Service for review.  This final leg of the process is projected to take several months.   According to the State Historical Society’s website, the National Park Service has designated more than 80,000 listings since the registries inception in 1966.  Approximately 2,400 of those listings are in Wisconsin, with five located in the City of Waupun.  Both registers include buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that are significant in national, state or local history.  Locally, the Waupun Post Office, The Wisconsin State Prison District (located at Waupun Correctional Institution), Central State Hospital Historic District (located of Dodge Correctional), The Carnegie Building on South Madison Street which is home to the Waupun Historical Society, The End of the Trial Sculpture located at Shaler Park, and a home located at 314 Beaver Dam Street are listed on the registers.  You might be asking why we’re concerned about this designation.  Our downtown is our commercial core.  Vibrant commercial cores with character attract new business, quality industry and a workforce needed to stabilize a community’s tax base.  An historic district and preservation program helps to protect investments of owners of historic properties by ensuring sound design and rehabilitation practices and buildings located in the district that are being renovated may qualify for historic tax credits to support needed improvements.  In turn, this helps the community by leveraging existing infrastructure which is more cost effective than building new and it promotes more environmentally friendly practices through the use and preservation of existing structures and resources.  Finally, there are numerous education benefits and a chance to positively impact the local economy through tourism.  There is some fascinating history behind many of Waupun’s landmarks and I invite you to learn more by viewing our nomination documents on the City’s website.

Around town, please join us for our annual Memorial Day parade on Monday, May 27, at 9 a.m.  The parade route has been altered this year due to Madison Street construction.  Parade line up will be near Howard’s Field (off East Spring Street) at 8:30 a.m.  The parade begins at 9 a.m. and will proceed west on East Spring Street toward North Madison Street, ending at Shaler Park at the War Veterans Memorial where a ceremony will be held at approximately 10 a.m.  Parking is available at the Community Center, Tanner Park and Rock River Intermediate School.  I’d like to extend a special thank you to the all-volunteer committee that works each year to make this important celebration happen in community.  I hope to see you there!