FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Lori Richards (414) 390-5500

April 21, 2010 or Bob Granflaten (608) 264-6586

WISCONSIN CELEBRATES GRAND TRANSFORMATION OF HISTORIC

LIBRARY READING ROOM
Wisconsin Historical Society Unveils Completed Renovation with Open House April 23-24
The newly renovated Library Reading Room in the Wisconsin Historical Society's historic
headquarters building, one of the most beautiful and ornate architectural spaces in the state, will be
open for free public tours during an open house on Friday and Saturday, April 23-24. Tours will
depart regularly from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Seven months of painstaking restoration-and-renovation work has returned the room to the
elegance of its original architectural style while furnishing the space to meet 21st-century library
patrons' needs. The project restored historic details missing or obscured since a renovation
undertaken in 1955, including a magnificent replicated stained-glass skylight in the room's 30-foot-
high ceiling.
Surrounding the central skylight, banks of ornately trimmed ceiling coffers with hanging
lamps light the room from above while re-creations of the original bronze wall sconces illuminate
the room's perimeter. The ceiling sparkles with color while the subtle tones of a historically
appropriate paint scheme complement the room's Neoclassical architecture.
Carefully selected furnishings add to the transformed Library Reading Room, featuring new
and restored tables and lounge furnishings, giving the space a warm and elegant character. Replicas
of the massive brass table lamps that shone on the books of students in 1900 look just like the
originals but now contain outlets in the bases to power laptop computers. Other conveniences
include Wi-Fi capabilities, computer workstations, access to digital collections, and a comfortable
environment that allows for both formal study and leisure reading.
"The challenge we faced in this restoration-and-renovation project was to marry the
aesthetics of 1900 with the technological needs of the 21st century," said Ellsworth Brown, The Ruth
and Hartley Barker Director of the Society. "I think we met that challenge successfully."
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Library renovation open house — ADD 1
The project's remarkable success shows on visitors' faces. Typically, as first-time researchers
enter the room, their eyes immediately gravitate to the ceiling and a sense of awe washes over their
faces.
Campus users are clearly voting with their feet. With no advertising, just word of mouth,
students have returned to the Library Reading Room in numbers seldom seen before. Patrons are
using the computers more heavily, and visitors are almost always sitting in the comfortable furniture
reading books, working on laptops or just leaning back to gaze at the ceiling.
"It's wonderful to see the numbers of visitors to this grand room swell as word gets out about
what we've done with it," said State Archivist Peter Gottlieb, who administers the Society's Division
of Library-Archives. "While we have made the reading room more attractive and functional, we
have also made a statement about the importance of knowledge and the collections that knowledge
requires, by restoring the beauty and dignity of this space."
The renovation of the Library Reading Room is one of several projects that are part of a first-
ever capital campaign for the Wisconsin Historical Society, which is being led by the Wisconsin
Historical Foundation and will be announced publicly later this year. Funding for the $2.9 million
renovation-and-restoration project came from three principal sources as part of a public-private
partnership: the State Building Commission, which funded the bricks and mortar, and combined
support from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Library System and the Wisconsin Historical
Foundation, which raised funds privately to fund furnishings and equipment necessary to meet the
needs of a modern audience.
Staff of Isthmus Architecture worked with the Historical Society's own librarians and
preservationists to plan the renovation. Skilled craftspeople and managers from J.H. Findorff & Son,
the general contractor, carried out the project with great attention to detail and completed the work
on time. Staff from the Department of Administration oversaw all aspects of the project.
The Wisconsin Historical Society is located at 816 State Street on the University of
Wisconsin-Madison campus. For more information about the open house events, contact the
Society's public information office at (608) 264-6586.
The Wisconsin Historical Society was founded in 1846 and ranks as one of the largest, most
active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a
private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting,
preserving and sharing stories.
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 816 State Street
AVAILABLE PHOTOS FOR MEDIA USE
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 264-6400
wisconsinhistory.org

Below, please find a sampling of photos available for media use of the Wisconsin Historical Society’s renovated Library
Reading Room. All pictures are available for download at: www.wisconsinhistory.org/pressroom/photos. Follow the Wisconsin
Historical Society building link.

For questions or more information, please contact Elizabeth Kelly at (414) 390-5500, or ekelly@muellercommunications.com.

Picture Title: Room in 1900 Picture Title: Room Before, 2002 Picture Title: Room After, 2010

Recommended Caption: Opened in 1900, the Library Reading Room was modernized in 1955 and touched up again in 1967. By 2006,
obsolete systems and badly needed maintenance prompted Historical Society and state officials to undertake a seven-month, wholesale
renovation of one of the state’s most significant architectural gems. The Wisconsin Historical Society’s Library Reading Room is the second
largest library on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus and contains one of the largest genealogical collections in the United States.
The Reading Room serves over 40,000 in-person visitors annually and provides wireless communications, electrical outlets for laptops,
computer workstations, access to digital collections, and a flexible study environment.

Picture Title: High Attendance

Recommended Caption: The renovated Library Reading Room already is popular with visitors. Library use was up 17 percent in March
2010 over the same month in 2009. Surrounding the central skylight, banks of ornately trimmed ceiling coffers with hanging lamps illuminate
the room, while re-creations of original bronze wall sconces light the room’s perimeter. The subtle tones of a historically appropriate paint
scheme complement the room’s Neoclassical architecture.

Picture Title: Desk Lighting Picture Title: Desk Lamp Picture Title: Pan Shot

Recommended Caption: Carefully selected furnishings add to the transformed Library Reading Room, featuring new and restored tables and
lounge furnishings, giving the space a warm and elegant character. Replicas of the massive brass table lamps that shone on the books of
students in 1900 look just like the originals, but now contain outlets in the bases to power laptop computers. The Wisconsin Historical
Society’s Library Reading Room has been in continuous use for 110 years. It houses over 3.8 million items in print and microform and is the
largest Wisconsin history library. Containing one of the most significant architectural spaces in the state, the Wisconsin Historical Society’s
headquarters building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Picture Title: Overhead Lighting

Picture Title: Stained Glass Ceiling

Recommended Caption: Among major highlights, the Library Reading Room features a replicated stained-glass skylight in its 30-foot-high
ceiling and restored historical details that reverse a modernized 1955 alteration, which masked the ceiling details with translucent light
coverings. The Library Reading Room is an architectural gem in Madison, second only to the Wisconsin State Capitol.

Picture Title: Column on the left Picture Title: Column on right

Recommended Caption: The recently completed renovation of the Library Reading Room returns this historic space to its original grandeur
and offers modern technological amenities that will benefit members’ and patrons’ research. The renovation set out to create an effective
research environment for vistors, provide modern reasearchers with 21 st-century research tools and return the room to its original grandeur.

Picture Title: Library Reading Room Lobby

Recommended Caption: Historic preservation staff at the Wisconsin Historical Society worked closely with Isthmus Architecture, J.H.
Findorff and Son, and with numerous subcontractors to ensure the most historically accurate and faithful renovation possible.
 816 State Street
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 264-6400
wisconsinhistory.org
LIBRARY READING ROOM FACT SHEET

About the Renovation Project

Project Goals
The primary goal of the renovation was not only to preserve the Library Reading Room and protect the
essence of the original historic surroundings, but also to provide a room capable of meeting
contemporary needs and providing modern researchers with state-of-the-art research tools.

Main Objectives of the Library Reading Room Renovation

Historic preservation staff at the Wisconsin Historical Society worked closely with Isthmus
Architecture, J.H. Findorff and Son (general contractor), and numerous subcontractors to ensure the
most faithful renovation possible, keeping the following highlights in mind:
The Wisconsin Historical Society Building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Library Reading Room is one of the most significant architectural spaces in the state.
In Madison, only the Capitol rivals the architectural importance of the Historical Society.

Library staff worked closely with Isthmus Architecture to create a modern library facility by designing
an environment that accommodates the volume and type of use by today’s researchers and visitors,
keeping the following details in mind:
The Library Reading Room is the second largest library on the University of Wisconsin-
Madison campus.
The Library Reading Room houses one of the largest genealogical collections in the United
States.
The Library Reading Room serves over 40,000 in-person visitors annually.
The Library Reading Room provides wireless communications, electrical outlets for laptops,
computer workstations, access to digital collections, and a flexible study environment.

Overview of Renovation and New Features

Opened in 1900, the Library Reading Room was modernized in 1955 and touched up again in 1967. By
2006, obsolete systems and badly needed maintenance prompted the Wisconsin Historical Society and
state officials to undertake a seven-month, wholesale renovation of one of the state's most significant
architectural gems including:
Improved mechanical, electrical and ventilation systems.
Refinished original furniture and compatible new furniture.
Original decorative ceilings exposed and repaired.
Replicated historic ceiling lights, wall sconces, table lamps and bookcases.
Stained-glass skylight panels reproduced.
Modern historically compatible carpet installed.

How was the Project Funded?

Wisconsin State Building Commission: $2,732,500
University of Wisconsin – Madison Libraries: $ 230,000
Additional funds are also being raised and contributed by the Wisconsin Historical Foundation to assist
with equipment and furnishings.

Renovation Project Team

Architect
Isthmus Architecture, Inc.
Design Team
Affiliated Engineers, Inc.
Structural Integrity, Inc
Contractors
J.H. Findorff & Son – General Contractor
Artisan Plastering and Karl Buschmann Ornamental Plaster (flat/decorative plaster)
Carley Wood Associates (built-in casework and furniture)
Franklin Art Glass Studios, Inc. (stained-glass skylight fabrication)
The Garland Guild, Inc. (decorative finishes)
H&H Industries, Inc.
Klein-Dickert (stained-glass skylight installation)
La Force, Inc.
North Shore Marble Maintenance
Sergenians Floor Coverings (carpet)
Superior Power, Inc.
Winona Lighting (period light fixtures)

General Information: Historical Society Building and the Library

Did you know?

The pattern in the Library Reading Room’s stained-glass skylight panels is a variation of the
design found in the mosaic tile on the first floor.
Each skylight contains nine stained-glass panels comprising 1,628 individual pieces of glass.
The project required approximately 1,760 square feet of gold leaf to gild the ceiling pendants,
rosettes and other decorative plaster scrollwork.

Notable Facts
Building dedication: October 19, 1900
Original architect: Ferry & Clas, Milwaukee
Architectural style: Neoclassical Revival
Original function: The building housed the Wisconsin Historical Society and the University
library, as well as offices for the Society and classrooms for the University. The Library
Reading Room has been in continuous use for 110 years.

Highlights about the Library and Daily Users

As the largest Wisconsin history library, and one of the largest U.S. and Canadian history
libraries, the space houses over 3.8 million items in print and microform.
In addition to students and faculty of UW-Madison, the free public library is open to all
visitors. The two largest user groups are university students and genealogists.
A testament to increased usage, since the completion of the renovation, library usage has
increased 17 percent in March 2010, over the same month in 2009.
 816 State Street
Madison, WI 53706
(608) 264-6400
www.wisconsinhistory.org FACT SHEET
Our Mission: The Wisconsin Historical Society helps people
connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories.

Organization: The Society was founded in 1846, two years before Wisconsin
became the 30th state, and it ranks as one of the largest, most active, and most
diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a
private membership organization, it receives about 65 percent of its funding from the
state of Wisconsin. The other 35 percent comes from membership fees, admission
fees, gifts, trust funds and grants. A 36-member Board of Curators governs the
Society.

Archives: The Society's archives collects manuscripts and artifacts from private
individuals and organizations. In addition to Wisconsin history, the holdings
include several collections of national scope:

 Mass communications history center

 Social action movements, such as civil rights
 Draper manuscripts, document early American exploration and settlement
 U.S. labor history

The Society's archives also serves as the official depository for important state records, and holds extensive visual and sound
records, including more than a million historical photographs, posters, oral history recordings, and motion picture films.
Through a cooperative agreement with the University of Wisconsin System and the Superior Public Library, the archives
operates a network of area research centers located at UW campus libraries throughout the state, at the Northern Great Lakes
Visitor Center in Ashland, and the library in Superior, making its collections accessible statewide.

Library: The Society's library serves as the state historical library as well as the
U.S. and Canadian history library for the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Holdings include:

 More than 3.8 million printed and microform items on history,

genealogy, and related topics in North American history
 A newspaper collection dating to Colonial days — second only to the
Library of Congress in number of issues
 Extensive U.S. and Canadian history

The library is designated as an official documents depository by the governments of Wisconsin, the United States and
Canada. It provides reference and information services in person, over the telephone, through the mail and on the Society's
Web site. It lends most of its materials to users in person and to other libraries throughout the state and the nation through
interlibrary loan.

Wisconsin Historical Museum: The Society's museum, located on Madison's

Capitol Square, contains exhibits on Wisconsin history from prehistoric times to
the present day. They include:

 Galleries devoted to the first inhabitants, the era of exchange, and

prehistoric Wisconsin
 Permanent exhibits documenting the history of Wisconsin agriculture,
environment, industry, tourism, political history, and Wisconsin's
settlement by European immigrants
 Two floors of changing exhibits, the museum shop and an orientation
theater

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Wisconsin Historical Society Fact Sheet Page 2

Historic Preservation-Public History: The Division of Historic Preservation-Public History helps people preserve places of
enduring value and presents a fresh perspective on history through publications, programs and services.

Public History Programs:

 Enhance the teaching of state and local history in Wisconsin’s public and
private schools
 Publish books for schools and the trade market that deal with the history of the
state and nation
 Provide technical assistance and consulting services to more than 375 local
historical societies and museums
 Publish the quarterly Wisconsin Magazine of History
 Conduct the National History Day program for 10,000 high school and
middle school students

Historic Preservation: The Society is the federally designated state historic

preservation office. In partnership with communities, organizations and
individuals, it works to identify, interpret and preserve ancient and historic places
for the benefit of present and future generations. In that role it:

 Administers Wisconsin's portion of the National Register of Historic Places

 Administers tax credit programs for historic building rehabilitation
 Conducts archeological and underwater archeological research
 Provides technical assistance to local organizations and government
 Reviews public projects for their effects on historic properties
 Administers the state's historical markers and burial sites preservation programs
 Maintains inventories of historic buildings, archeological sites and burial sites

Historic Sites: The Society's network of 10 historic sites, located throughout

Wisconsin, provides one of the nation's most comprehensive laboratories for the
study, appreciation and enjoyment of Midwestern frontier history. The historic
sites include:

 Old World Wisconsin (Eagle) (pictured at left), an outdoor living

history museum of immigrant farm and village life
 Wade House (Greenbush), an 1860s stagecoach inn and home to the
re-created Herrling Sawmill and Wesley Jung Carriage Museum
 Villa Louis (Prairie du Chien), a magnificently restored Victorian
country estate
 Circus World (Baraboo), America's circus museum, built on the original site of the Ringling Bros. Circus winter quarters
 Madeline Island Museum (La Pointe), a museum of Apostle Islands exploration and settlement
 H.H. Bennett Studio (Wisconsin Dells), the restored historic studio of the man who made Wisconsin Dells famous
 Pendarvis (Mineral Point), a restored territorial Wisconsin Cornish miners' colony
 Stonefield (Cassville), a re-created 1900s farming village and site of the State Agricultural Museum and
Governor Nelson Dewey home site
 First Capitol (Belmont), the birthplace of Wisconsin's territorial government
 Reed School (Neillsville), a 1940s one-room school

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