2004 Preservation Awards
Garver Cottage
3300 Sugar Avenue
[photo: Larry Lester]
Garver Cottage
3300 Sugar Avenue
Olbrich Botanical Society & Madison Parks Department, owners
Ronald Gene Bowen, architect
Award: Commercial restoration
The Garver Cottage, behind Olbrich Gardens, was built as the Madison office of the U.S. Sugar Company in 1905. It was designed, built, managed and partially funded by German immigrant Theodore Hapke, who designed and erected sugar beet refineries throughout the U.S. The windows, tan brick and trim details mirror those of the much larger "Industrial Romanesque" building located a mere sugar-beet’s toss away, across the East Side bike path.
The US Sugar Company operated each year from October to January, employing 250 eastside laborers and processing 500 tons of beets per day. The company declared bankruptcy and closed in 1924. The property was purchased by James Garver and converted into a state-of-the-art feed mill and office in 1931. That business supplied feed to a 40-county region in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois until 1997 when the property was purchased by the Olbrich Botanical Society. The Society, in turn, donated the property to the city parks department.
In 2001, renovation of the cottage was undertaken as a first step in redeveloping the Garver property. The renovation focused on maintaining the building’s historic architecture, applying sustainable design principles and creating office space for the Olbrich horticultural staff. The cost of $248,000 was financed by a donation from the Olbrich Botanical Society and an $80,000 bequest.
The double-hung windows, eaves and fascia boards were replaced and matched to the originals. The exterior, graffiti-covered, brick was tuck-pointed, cleaned and sealed, while the soffits and overhangs were restored. The solid oak exterior doors were replicated to the style of the original construction, while the interior oak doors were restored. A portion of the original brick is exposed around each window and the original safe is preserved.
Contributing to the project’s success were architect Ronald Gene Bowen, MATC students who built the exterior doors, Joe Daniels Construction Company and many volunteers. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) donated fixtures.
The restoration of the Garver Cottage offers a visible statement to the possibilities of restoration and renovation of the nearby Garver Feed Mill. Both the feed mill and the cottage have been designated as official city landmarks.
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Other 2004 Award Winners
Garver Cottage
