2007 Preservation Awards
University Hill Farms Neighborhood Association
[photo: Jason Tish]
Award: Preservation Advocacy
The Hill Farms neighborhood on Madison’s west side was a unique project that brought together planners from the University of Wisconsin, the Madison Plan Commission and the Wisconsin State Planning Division. More than a residential neighborhood, Hill Farms was designed to be a complete community that included, parks, schools, shops, churches, a bank, a post office, a theater, and its own fire station. A commercial zone and a large state office building provided thousands of jobs at the north end of the neighborhood. A family could walk from their modern home to virtually any service or amenity typically provided by any small town.
Today the neighborhood is still defined by the interrelationship of the residential, commercial and civic elements, and is a virtual catalog of what was popular in Madison’s housing market in the late 1950s.
Last year the University Hill Farms Neighborhood Association partnered with the Madison Trust to organize a house tour to promote the unique and interesting history of their neighborhood. The ranch style house, the predominant Hill Farms style, still has a reputation of being uninteresting. Many Americans over 30 grew up in ranches and many Hill Farms residents are original owners of their 1950s homes, so tour organizers were not sure how people would respond. More than 300 tickets were sold for the tour and the response was enthusiastic. Proceeds from the tour will be used to plant the crabapple trees originally planned along Regent Street.
Hill Farms is currently a finalist for the 2007 Neighborhood of the Year Award given annually by Neighborhoods, USA. The winner will be announced in May.
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