Located in Cawker City, Mitchell County, Kansas (pop. 640), the Wisconsin Street Historic District (ca. 1871-1926) is comprised of fourteen buildings and one site. This concentration of eleven, two story, brick, limestone, and frame Italianate structures; three, two story, brick early Twentieth Century Commercial Style structures; and one limestone paved alley represents the historical core of Cawker City’s commercial center. The Italianate structures that predominate in the district share many stylistic similarities in their arched and hooded window treatments, corbelled cornices, and cast iron storefronts.

 The Twentieth Century Commercial Style structures are compatible in their materials, proportions, and functions with the Italianate structures. The limestone paved alley is representative of the dominant pedestrian paving employed in Cawker City between 1870 and 1910 and remains as the only example from this period. All of the properties within the proposed district are contributing and maintain a moderate to high degree of architectural integrity. 

Platted in the traditional gridiron plan, the city is laid out on a 640 acre tract divided into quarters or wards. Sixteen avenues run from east to west, with Wisconsin Street being the center and major east to west thoroughfare. Sixteen avenues run from north to south, with Lake Street, formerly Pennsylvania Avenue, being the center and major north to south thoroughfare. The proposed district is located in the block just east of the Wisconsin Street and Lake Street intersection. At one time, warehouses, hardware stores, and agricultural implement stores extended to the west and southwest of the extant commercial core, toward the Missouri Pacific Depot, which stands four blocks to the southwest of the proposed district. Cawker City’s commercial district also extended to the east and southeast of the extant commercial core where hotels, additional offices, and the opera house were located. Residential growth has occurred in the northwest and southeast quandrants, leaving much of the 640 acre town site undeveloped. 

Major fires in 1879 and 1882 drastically altered the commercial district, destroying eleven of the one & two story frame structures which dominated Wisconsin Street. A single two story, frame Italianate structure remains from this period. Most of the two story, brick and limestone Italianate structures which form the core of the proposed district were constructed to replace the burned buildings. The three Twentieth Century Commercial Style buildings included in the district replaced earlier frame buildings. Inventory of Building.