2007 Preservation Awards
Brittingham Boathouse
[photo: Jason Tish]
601 North Shore Drive
City of Madison, Parks Division, owner
Camp Randall Rowing Club, tenant
Steve J. Schaefer, tenant project lead
Rick Gabriel, project manager, Dorschner Associates Inc., architects and planners
Award: Restoration, renovation, and relocation
Built in 1910 on Lake Monona, the Brittingham Boat House is Madison’s oldest surviving park structure and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977. By 2001, the boat house had fallen into disuse and was a frequent target for vandalism and graffiti. Led by Steve Schaefer, the Camp Randall Rowing Club (CRRC) was incorporated as a nonprofit in 2001 and immediately launched the Brittingham Boathouse Renovation Project. In addition to the CRRC, the project included the Madison Parks Department, the UW-Madison crew teams, and the Dorschner architectural firm.
Phase one was the renovation and relocation of the boat house. It needed to be straightened, stabilized, and then moved to a new foundation 150 to 200 feet southwest of its original location. A 50-foot addition was constructed on the northwest end, doors large enough to accommodate a truck were installed on each end, new launch and dock structures were built, and the shoreline was rebuilt. Phase two included removing the dark exterior paint and repainting the building a bright green with white trim, as seen in historic photos of the structure. The interior’s dark wainscoting was also restored.
The renovated boat house facilitates easy circulation of user as well as neighborhood traffic and adds visual interest as people approach the city from John Nolen Drive. The collaborative effort that was responsible for this remarkable restoration should provide inspiration for future efforts.
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