The housing crisis at the University of Wisconsin is old news. Every year, students scramble to find affordable housing near campus. Some students have been driven to camping out in front of the building they want to live in in order to secure a lease.
It appears apartment buildings are plentiful around the UW campus, but the growing student population demands more housing space. To combat this, a few buildings — even some historic ones — have been renovated to create more living space, making for some interesting places to call home.
Ever wondered what it was like to live in a school? Wonder no more. Lincoln School Apartments on East Gorham was renovated from an elementary school into 28 different apartment units. The outside of the building is the same now as it was when it was a school, including the Lincoln School sign on top of the front door and the plaque that talks about the school.
An unsuspecting passersby might easily be confused. The building was used as a school up until 1963 before being converted into an apartment complex in 1985. It was just a few years prior in 1980 that the site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Similarly, the Lumen House was originally a school in 1982, but transitioned to housing. The Lumen House preserved many of the historic features of the building during the transition.
Now, instead of classrooms, this building has five bedroom apartments and even a penthouse. Along with the Lincoln School Apartments, this building is a piece of Madison history that is continuing to benefit the community, even if it is in a different way than what it was originally zoned for.
The Firehouse, on the corner of North Randall and West Dayton and directly across from James Madison Park, is another historic building that can now be rented for housing. The Firehouse, much as its namesake gives way to, was indeed renovated from an actual firehouse. The high ceilings and spiral staircase up to the third floor bedroom are reminiscent of its beginnings.
Garage style doors that would once open for fire trucks to fit through are still there, but now function as a fun window to the outside. With up to five tenants, this housing unit could be one of the most entertaining buildings to live in that is not too far from campus.
The Church is a larger unit rental that literally turned an old church into a home. This building has just two apartments to rent, the bottom floor and the upper apartment. This building is still equipped with stained glass windows, but the altar was converted into a bar and kitchen.
The Church now has a whopping eleven bedrooms and a large living room. It is a ten minute drive from the campus and is right by James Madison Park. It is hard to miss if you happen to be walking in that area.
The Tobacco Lofts are apartments with a very historic background. The building was built in 1899 and the American Tobacco Company used it to store and sort leaf tobacco for cigar wrappers. In 1939, JH Findorff & Son bought and used the building for lumber storage and woodworking. The building was then restored and developed into 61 apartments in 2005.
Though it may not be a place for students to live anymore, a notable place to rent for a visit to Madison is 1314 Saint James Court. The old “Bone Haus” has been renovated since housing band members, but still includes some of the decorations from the band members.
If there is trouble in finding an apartment or house to live in when the scramble for housing starts, consider looking into one of these funky housing units to live in. All of these places are one-of-a-kind, interesting places to live or stay as a college student. These units can also be a humorous topic of conversation.
