Philanthropist W. Jerome Frautschi is donating another $10 million for the coming $160.5 million Wisconsin History Center that will rise at the top of State Street on Capitol Square, bringing his total support to $25.1 million.
The Wisconsin Historical Society intends to open the five-story, 100,000-square-foot history center at the site of the now-closed former museum and adjacent properties in early 2027.
The planned $160.5 million Wisconsin History Center at the top of State Street on Capitol Square. Philanthropist W. Jerome Frautschi has given another $10 million gift to the project, bringing his total support to $25.1 million.
The Wisconsin Historical Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Historical Society, announced the new, $10 million gift Wednesday afternoon.
“The Wisconsin Historical Society has made significant progress on the new history center over the last year, and it has been exciting to watch the design come together,” Frautschi said in a statement. “The Wisconsin History Center promises to be a vibrant hub of learning for the state of Wisconsin and one of the leading cultural experiences in the Midwest. I’m proud to support this project and excited to welcome this new addition to Madison’s growing cultural district.”
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Frautschi and his wife, Pleasant Rowland, have contributed broadly and deeply — hundreds of millions of dollars — to many of the city’s major projects, including Overture Center, the History Center, the Madison Youth Arts Center, the Central Library, the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra facility, UW-Hospital, the Center for Black Excellence and Culture, the Urban League of Greater Madison’s Black Business Hub, One City Schools and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dane County.
The History Center, expected to break ground this fall, received $112.3 million in state funds for design and construction, contingent upon the Historical Foundation contributing $48.2 million in private donations. With Frautschi’s latest commitment, the Historical Foundation has now surpassed the requirement and has raised a total of $52.6 million for the history center, the foundation said.
The total private fundraising goal for the project is $66.5 million to account for transition and operating costs needed to sustain the entire project, it said.
“We are humbled by Mr. Frautschi’s continued generosity to the future Wisconsin History Center,” foundation executive director Julie Lussier said. “It is an incredible boost of confidence and reflects the enormous enthusiasm behind the project. We are so grateful for the support from our donors who see the significance and value of bringing this new facility to life.”
The History Center, which will rise on the Downtown site of the former, undersized museum at 30 N. Carroll St. and adjacent properties at 20 and 22 N. Carroll St., will feature a façade with offset top floors to offer differing views from various vantage points.
Inside, a glassy lobby will feature an expansive wooden staircase meant to echo an ancient dugout canoe, inspired by the recovery in recent years of two Native American dugout canoes from Lake Mendota.
It will lead to a café, community gallery and temporary gallery that can host national-caliber shows and exhibit spaces featuring interpretative, interactive and multimedia presentations. The fifth floor will feature event space and a terrace overlooking the Capitol.
The center will house three permanent galleries, a rotating community gallery sharing local history from across the state, and a changing temporary gallery large enough to bring in the nation’s most sought-after traveling exhibits. The Historical Society will offer robust public programming throughout communal spaces, while extending the center’s resources across the state through advanced technology.
“We are so thankful to Mr. Frautschi for his incredible leadership, support and vision for the future as we move toward constructing a world-class history center in the heart of downtown Madison,” said Christian Overland, director and CEO of the Wisconsin Historical Society. “His belief in this project is an inspiration to all of us, and we look forward to delivering an exceptional building and experience that will make Wisconsin proud.”
While the Wisconsin History Center is being built, a temporary History Maker Space, located on the main level of the U.S. Bank Plaza on Capitol Square, houses an interactive education space for school groups along with pop-up exhibits, special events, history center sneak peeks and a refreshed retail shop.
Photos: Documenting the shipwrecks of Wisconsin
Shipwrecks
Laminated dive cards showing the history and locations of scores of shipwrecks in Wisconsin waters have been created by the Wisconsin Historical Society and can be purchased by those wishing to visit a wreck.
Shipwrecks
Chris Spoo, a volunteer diver with the Wisconsin Historical Society, takes measurements last month on the Advance, located in about 85 feet of water off Cedar Grove in Sheboygan County.
Shipwrecks
Caitlin Zant views hand-drawn renderings of Lake Michigan shipwrecks in her office at the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison.
Shipwrecks
Maritime archaeologist Caitlin Zant uses a light table in her office at the Wisconsin Historical Society to add ink to a rendering of the Advance, a 117-foot-long schooner that sank in 1885. The wreck is now within the official boundaries of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, the 15th sanctuary of its kind in the country.
Shipwrecks
Caitlin Zant, a maritime archeologist with the Wisconsin Historical Society, explains this three-dimensional rendering of the Abiah, which was built in 1848 and sank in 1854 off Sheboygan. The image was created with a computer and a remote underwater vehicle since the wreck is in about 220 feet of water.
Shipwrecks
Caitlin Zant uses an ink pen to trace a pencil drawing of the Advance. The ink drawing will allow it to be digitally reproduced and shared on websites, in educational material and on dive cards for those wishing to visit the wreck.
Shipwrecks
Caitlin Zant, a certified diver since 2012, was in her element last month as she dove the Advance. The maritime archaeologist with the Wisconsin Historical Society uses a mechanical pencil to draw sketches and record measurements on Mylar paper.
Shipwreck Research 07-07272021160451
A diver swims over the two masted schooner Walter B. Allen, sunk in 1880. Credit: Tamara Thomsen, Wisconsin Historical Society
