Bascom Hill

Bascom Hill Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Bascom Hall atop Bascom Hill
Location	Bounded by Observatory Dr., University Ave., and N. Park, Langdon, and State Sts. Madison, Wisconsin
Built	1849
Architectural style	Gothic, Other, Romanesque
NRHP Reference #	74000065
Added to NRHP	September 12, 1974

Bascom Hill is the main quadrangle that forms the symbolic core of the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. It is located on the opposite end of State Street from the Wisconsin State Capitol, and is named after John Bascom, former president of the University of Wisconsin. The hill itself is a drumlin, formed by glacial deposits about 18,000 years ago.

Bascom Hall and the statue of Abraham Lincoln.

The hill is crowned by Bascom Hall, the main administration building for the campus. Near the main entrance to Bascom Hall sits a statue of President Abraham Lincoln. The first university building, North Hall, was constructed on Bascom Hill in 1851 and is still in use by the Department of Political Science. The second building, South Hall, was built in 1855 and is now used by the administration of the University of Wisconsin College of Letters and Science.

1885 engraving of UW campus looking up Bascom Hill

Buildings

• North Hall (1851)
• South Hall (1855)
• Bascom Hall (1857)
• Assembly Hall and Library Building (now Music Hall) (1879)
• Mining Engineering and Heating Station (now Radio Hall) (1887)
• Science Hall (1888)
• University Armory and Gymnasium (1894)
• State Historical Society (1900)
• Memorial Union (1928)
• Carillon Tower (1934)
• John Muir Park (1964)
• Humanities Building and Elvehjem Art Center (the latter now Chazen Museum of Art) (1969)
• Helen C. White Hall
• Limnology Laboratory

External links

• Bascom Hill photo gallery from the Wisconsin Electronic Reader
• Bascom Hill Pink Flamingo from the Wisconsin Historical Society