Ashland, Ashland County, Wisconsin – The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of Fifield Place Historic District, located in Ashland, in the National Register of Historic Places on August 30, 2023.
Located on a bluff near the south shore of the Chequamegon Bay, the Fifield Place Historic District consists of six houses situated on a single block: one residence faces North Ellis Avenue while the remaining five residences extend along the opposite side of the block, on Fifield Row.
The Ellis Avenue house was built in 1883 by Samuel S. and Stella Fifield. Samuel moved to Ashland in 1872 and, with his brother Henry, established The Ashland Press. Growth in the iron ore industry caused a citywide housing shortage and Ashland experienced a building boom in 1887. In response, Samuel Fifield re-platted his own property as Fifield Place and built a row of six cottages, essentially in his backyard. The houses are two stories and designed in the Queen Anne style, which was popular at the time. That same year, Fifield improved his own spacious home to include a separate entrance to the upper level, where he rented rooms—most often to public school teachers—which also helped to alleviate the housing crunch.
Despite the demolition of one of the cottages, the collection of houses on Fifield Row stands as a unique testament to Ashland’s early planning and development and to the 1887 building boom. The residences in the district are privately owned; please respect their privacy.
Additional information for the Fifield Place Historic District is available at:
To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: https://wisconsinhistory.org/
About the Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
