Discover 7 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Ashland (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Northland College, Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, and Ellis School. Also, be sure to include Grand Opera House in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Ashland (Wisconsin).
Table of Contents
Northland College
Private university in Ashland, Wisconsin. Northland College is a private college in Ashland, Wisconsin. Founded as the North Wisconsin Academy in 1892, the college was established in 1906. Originally affiliated with the Congregational Church, the college remains loosely tied to the Congregational Church's descendant, the United Church of Christ. It enrolls 526 full-time undergraduates and employs 60 faculty members and 99 staff members. Northland College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Universities.[1]
Address: 1411 Ellis Ave, Ashland
Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center
Nature, Visitor center, Tourist information, Natural attraction, Lake
Address: 29270 County Highway G, 54806-9339 Ashland
Ellis School
School in Ashland, Wisconsin. Ellis School is a school building in Ashland, Wisconsin which was built in 1900. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1980. It is noted for its architecture—the design of Henry Wildhagen—which is of the 19th- and 20th-century revival styles.
It is a two-story-plus-basement Neoclassical building. According to a 1979 architectural review, its
simple, rectangular mass is varied only by a projecting center pedimented pavilion, cut by a Neoclassical arch over the entrance. The brownstone voussoirs and keystone of the arch and the basement story contrasted with the brick walls relate to the materials of the other schools. Although the grand arch and triple-window motif is again used to mark the story over the entrance, the omission of overt Richardsonian Romanesque references make the Ellis School unique among its fellows. Distribution of double-hung windows to either side of the center pavilion is regular, with four to each side. An elliptical window is set into the center pediment which intersects the low pyramidal roof.
Wildhagen also designed three other schools in Ashland, also NRHP-listed: Ashland Middle School (1904), Beaser School (1899), and Wilmarth School (1895).[2]
Grand Opera House
Opera house in Ashland, Wisconsin. The Grand Opera House is a historic opera house in Ashland, Wisconsin. The building was one of the first theatres in the region, and was originally a vaudeville/opera house/live performance venue.
Built in 1893, it was designed by architect Oscar Cobb. It is located in a spot that was originally surrounded by hotels. The massive two-story brick building was built in the Romanesque Revival Style. The auditorium is located on the second floor, which features graceful arched windows on the front side. The street level contains two storefront spaces with square window designs.
According to the 1893 Ashland Daily Press Annual Edition, the original plan and location for this building were different. Proposed at a corner of Sixth Avenue West and Main Street West, it was built instead at the present location with a smaller and less expensive design. This was likely due to the financial panic of 1893.
Vacant and in need of restoration, the opera house received some redevelopment, including the restoration of the front facade.
The building is a contributing resource within the West Second Street Historic District, of downtown Ashland. Although not located directly on Second Street (later renamed Main Street), it is still considered a contribution to the Historic District, being located close to the District on a side street.
In later years, the building housed a liquor store and a gun shop.[3]
Address: Ashland, 210 Third Avenue West
Security Savings Bank
The Security Savings Bank, also known as the Appleyard Building, is a historic building in Ashland, Wisconsin, United States. In 1974, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque Style by the architectural firm Conover and Porter, of Madison.
The building is a contributing resource within the West Second Street Historic District, of downtown Ashland.
The two-story commercial building features brick and brownstone arches as the primary motif on both floors. The first floor was altered in 1935, when polished black granite was applied to the front exterior, with material provided by the American Black Granite Company.
Today, the building is located directly next door to the Ashland Historical Society Museum.[4]
Ashland Middle School
School in Ashland, Wisconsin. Ashland Middle School is a middle school in Ashland, Wisconsin's Ashland School District. It is also the name of a former school building that was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places from 1980 until it was delisted in 2009.
The former school building was built in 1904 and was noted for its architecture, which contained Late Victorian, nineteenth-century revival and twentieth-century revival styles. The building was designed by Henry Wildhagen, who also designed three other schools in Ashland, all surviving, which also are NRHP-listed: Beaser School (1899), Ellis School (1900), and Wilmarth School (1895).
The current school building also hosts the Oredocker Project School, a charter school with a focus on students learning through completing comprehensive projects.[5]
Wilmarth School
School in Ashland, Wisconsin. Wilmarth School is a school building in Ashland, Wisconsin which was built in 1891. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is noted for its architecture—the design of Henry Wildhagen—which is of the 19th- and 20th-century revival styles.
It is a two-story-plus-basement cream brick and brownstone building. It has a center "chisel-roof" tower containing the front entrance, which has a Palladian-like sidelights and stairlight. It has a stone panel with the school's name and three windows over a center arch. It has two large cream brick chimneys with corbelled caps and a hipped roof.
Wildhagen also designed three other schools in Ashland, also NRHP-listed: Ashland Middle School (1904), Beaser School (1899), and Ellis School (1900).[6]