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History

Legendary Achievements

Frank Lloyd Wright's Legacy to Richland Center

As motorists make their way along well-traveled Church Street in Richland Center they likely notice an imposing rectangular shaped building on the southwest corner of one intersection. Many if not most city residents are aware of the building's significance, but visitors may be less so. The edifice, known as the A.D. German Warehouse, is important because it is the only building designed by world-famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the city of his birth.

He was born on June 8, 1867, to William Russell Cary Wright and Anna Lloyd Jones Wright at a location that is shrouded in mystery. Some area old-timers insist that word-of-mouth passed down over time indicates that the house Wright was born in was located at the site of the current post office on the corner of Mill Street and Central Avenue. Still, there is no direct evidence that can prove this assertion or any of several others.

What is known is that Wright, despite a less than thorough education, rose to prominence as one of the world's most renowned architects. His claim to fame includes such noteworthy accomplishments as The Guggenheim Museum in New York City, Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, the Johnson Wax headquarters in Racine, and Taliesins East and West, in Spring Green, Wisconsin, and Scottsdale, Arizona, respectively.

Although Richland Center's A.D. German Warehouse is less well-known than some of Wright's masterpieces it nonetheless is something of a mecca for Wright enthusiasts. One can frequently observe people standing across the street taking photographs of it. Present owner Harvey Glanzer recently spoke about focusing his attention on the warehouse, but it currently is not open to the public. Still, it stands as a reminder of the architect's origins in Richland Center and of the once-prominent entrepreneur—A.D. German himself—who commissioned its construction in 1917. A series of business misfortunes prevented German from realizing the building's potential as a sort of business hub of wholesale goods, shops, a restaurant, and even a theater. The building had a succession of owners over the decades and has had its share of ups and downs, including having been known as a speakeasy during the Roaring Twenties. It had a brief renaissance during the late 1970s and early 1980s when an attempt was made to run it as a museum.

After the failure of that enterprise it has remained mostly unused, with many people sighing over wistful might-have-beens. However, its status as an example of Wright's genius remains intact. It is one of but a few surviving buildings of Wright's from the decade of 1910-1919. And while other of Wright's buildings have low importance ratings in Thomas A. Heinz's "Frank Lloyd Wright Field Guide," the A.D. German Warehouse is rated high in importance as a site of historical and artistic significance.

But those of us who revere the building for its local significance didn't need an expert to tell us that.

More Legends from Our Past …
Ada James (1876-1952)

Ada James is Richland Center's most prominent suffragette and known for her work with disadvantaged children and women. In 1892, she and several other high school girls formed the Equality Club to assist in the campaign for women's suffrage. Thanks to their efforts, in 1919 Wisconsin became the first state to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment. Women voted nationwide for the first time in the presidential election of 1920.

Dr. Bertha Reynolds (1868-1961)

“Dr. Bertha" was a woman pioneer in the practice of medicine. She joined the practice of her brother, Dr. Nelson Reynolds, in Lone Rock in Richland County in 1902, and was called Dr. Bertha to distinguish her from the "other Dr. Reynolds." In 1904, she took over the practice, and later retired at the age of 85. She remains prominent among Wisconsin women breaking into male dominated professions.

Paul A. Seifert (1846-1921)

Paul Seifert was born in Germany and was destined many years after his death to be included among the nation's best itinerant folk artists. From 1875 to 1885, he periodically set off in search of farmers willing to pay $2.50 for a painting of their farmstead.

Seifert was "discovered" in the 1950s by a New York folk art historian who included samples of his work in a textbook. Suddenly, Seifert paintings commissioned for $2.50 to $5.00 became worth thousands. Today, Seifert's paintings are treasured for the detail they provide about 19th century farmers' possessions and farming practices in Richland, Grant, Sauk and Iowa counties.

Rich in History…
The Brewer Library

With a past full of citizens like Frank Lloyd Wright, Ada James and Paul Seifert, and landmarks such as the A.D. German Warehouse, the walking bridge across the Pine River and the first municipal auditorium in the State of Wisconsin, our library system feels that we owe it to all future generations to preserve our history. The library’s collection of historical documents, photographs and memorabilia are well known, as is their genealogical research section. People come from all over the U.S. to look up their ancestors in the Brewer Library.

By Dawn Kiefer
Based on her 12-part '07-'08 series in The Richland Observer