The Fuldner Heritage Fund recognizes Wisconsin heritage by funding the preparation of National Register of Historic Places nominations in Wisconsin. Long story short: the great state of Wisconsin is sponsoring the National Register application on behalf of Camp Wandawega!
“The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.”
According to State of Wisconsin Historic Preservation Officer Jim Draeger, “Properties with awe-inspiring histories are vitally important to the identity of their communities. The Wisconsin Historical Society wishes to collect, preserve and share those stories. By recognizing rare, unique or distinctive properties and encouraging their preservation, we can tell important Wisconsin stories in a compelling and authentic way, allowing people to experience firsthand places that tell us who we are and where we come from.”
David & I are both architectural preservationists (aka: fanatics). He currently serves as a Boardmember for Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, and formerly served on the board of Landmarks Illinois. My books are about preservation at their core. So needless to say, we are thrilled at the prospect of having Camp Wandawega recognized by The National Register of Historic Places. This application process is a bit of a journey, and we’ve just made it through the first 3 steps:
STEP 1: Submitting application National Register questionnaire.
STEP 2: A site visit is conducted as part of the state of Wisconsin’s evaluation.
STEP 3: After the site visit, further application consideration from the State Historic Preservation Officer commences.
NEXT STEPS: The state hires a consultant to support the preparation of National Register nominations on behalf of Wandawega Lake Resort / Camp Wandawega. So, keep your fingers and toes crossed for us as we continue to the next phase. Also, on a related note, we recently started working with a volunteer genealogist who has uncovered a wealth of history about camp. Check out the first part of a series of stories that she unearthed.
Following are a few examples of the designation signage, as well as a few images and artifacts from the colorful past of the Camp Wandawega area…
