Commission votes to forward Frostwoods historic district nomination to state review

The Monona Landmarks Commission voted July 15 to move forward with a draft National Register nomination for the Frostwoods Historic District and directed staff to submit the draft for State Historic Preservation Office review by the SHPO deadline.

Justin Miller of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee presented the draft nomination, describing the district’s boundaries along the Lake Monona shoreline and noting the inventory included 142 buildings, of which 127 are considered contributing resources. Miller said the nomination documents three areas of significance: architecture (a cohesive collection of modern-movement and postwar styles), community planning embodied by the Frostwoods Homes Association design guidelines, and archaeology (including multiple effigy mound groups and other recorded archaeological sites). He said the nomination sets two periods of significance: 1911–1980 for architectural criteria and an archaeology period as identified in the draft.

Miller noted that the nomination records racial covenants in early deeds beginning in 1931 and documents the Frostwoods Homes Association’s later deletion of those clauses after they were declared unenforceable in 1948. The nomination also documents community planning practices such as a customary 75-foot lot frontage and an architectural review process administered informally and later codified by the homeowners association.

Commissioners discussed the nomination’s boundary and that earlier consultant work (an intensive survey in 2019 and a determination of eligibility in 2022) had used the same boundary, which excluded nearby Frost Island and some northern lots. Staff and the consultant said they would follow SHPO guidance; the commission agreed to proceed with the boundary used in the draft and to coordinate any edits directly through staff.

A commission member moved to forward the draft nomination (as presented that evening) to staff for submittal; another commissioner seconded. The commission voted in favor and the motion carried. Staff and the UW–Milwaukee team said they expect SHPO review and likely state listing following the state review board calendar, with a probable state-review board appearance in November and National Park Service listing within several months after state listing.

Commissioners asked whether State listing would trigger local restrictions; staff said National Register listing does not in itself add local regulatory controls but can open state tax-credit opportunities and that the local commission would play an educational role for property owners about incentives and best practices.