News
The Wisconsin Historical Society will hold the 2010 Local History & Historic Preservation Conference in Lake Geneva at the Grand Geneva Resort on Friday, October 15, and Saturday, October 16. Click here for more details.
Many thanks to all the participants in our "Tales of Lake Geneva" program at Horticultural Hall in May. Long time residents who shared their stories were: Buddy Melges, Tom Jacobs, Marcie Douglass, Sturg Taggart and Burly Brellenthin. The crowd was ample and well pleased.
The fence at Pioneer Cemetery (yes, the new one) is showing signs of rust and portions will need to be repainted. Some of the tombstones are toppled or broken. The LG-HPC is currently in contact with Cemetery Commission, Badger High School and the Boy Scouts in the hope of getting some of our younger citizens involved in restoring this historic cemetery to a more proper & presentable form.
Another project currently being discussed is the Old Mill Race Heritage Trail, a walking trail that will take you to the old railroad bridge, Geneva Lakes Area Museum, Odell Typewriter Building and possibly the City-owned portion of Hillmoor Golf Course. Much of the trail would be along or near the White River.
Programs
PLAQUES
In 1996 Mary Tanner began her
mission to rally the residents of oldest residential area of Lake
Geneva to get a 15
block area designated as a historic district.
It wasn't easy, but slowly interest grew and finally, with the help
of the LG-HPC, we now have the Maple Park Historic District.
To promote continued interest and to accommodate owners who are
proud of their buildings history, an attractive plaque with the
"date of birth" was designed. Currently over 120 plaques adorn
historic homes and business buildings in Lake Geneva.
To qualify as historic a home must be at least 50 years old,
well maintained and, most importantly, have retained its original
architectural integrity. If you think your home
might
qualify, the LG-HPC will do the research; the owner pays for the
plaque. Contact Mary Tanner at 262-248-0373.
TAX INCENTIVE PROGRAMS
Owning a historic property in Wisconsin
carries with it several benefits. For one thing carrying a
designation as a historic building often increases the market value
of your property. Another enticing benefit is the
ability to participate in federal and state tax incentive programs
for the rehabilitation of historic properties. Currently three
programs are available to owners of properties that are in, or
eligible for, the state or national registers of historic places.
These programs are:
Federal 20% Historic Rehabilitation Credit. A 20% federal tax credit for rehabilitating a historic income-producing building.
Wisconsin 5% Supplement Federal Rehab Credit. Also for income-producing buildings.
Wisconsin 25% Historic Rehabilitation Credit. A Wisconsin income tax credit for rehabilitating a non-income-producing personal residence.
To qualify for any of these tax credits, you must:
-
Own a historic property. Properties must be listed in The National or State Register of Historic Places, or eligible for such listing or be a contributing property in a National or State Historic District.
-
Spend a minimum amount of money on the rehabilitation work. For the personal residence that minimum is $10,000.
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Carry out the work according to program standards.
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Formally apply and obtain approval before beginning any work.
For further details visit: www.wisconsinhistory.org/histbuild
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