Look for a three-story cream brick building with a flat roof, rounded at one corner and trimmed in stone, standing out with its grand arched entrance topped by a stained glass window-it's right on the corner, just a block south of the Capitol.
Alright, step right up and take a good look at the Jackman Building, where the mighty meet the mighty legal paperwork! Picture Madison back in 1914: horse-drawn carriages clattering nearby, a brand new, freshly laid cream brick building making quite the impression on folks scurrying around the Capitol Square. Designed by the local dream team architects, Claude & Starck, this wasn’t just any old office-it had style bursting out both inside and out. Outside, you’ve got that Classic look: denticulated cornice (that’s a fancy word for the toothy trim along the roof-no flossing required), stone keystones over each window, and a strong line of stone separating the second and third floors, marching all the way around like a parade.
The real head-turner is the entrance. It’s a big, round Roman arch made of radiating stone, hinting that something unusual waits inside. And if you peek up, you’ll spot a glorious half-circle stained glass window, shimmering a rainbow at the right time of day-almost daring you to step through those doors. Go inside and-bam!-you’re suddenly not in a stately Neoclassical world anymore, but surrounded by the warm, clean lines of Prairie Style: painted plaster walls with birch trim, globe lights glowing on shiny metal bars.
The law firm of Richmond, Jackman & Swanson built this beauty to house their practice, and for decades this place buzzed with lawyers, accountants, private detectives-imagine the secrets, the schemes, and the spirited debates echoing up and down those stairs! By 1978, after decades of deals and detective work, the building changed hands, but its charm never faded. In 1980, Madison made it official, stamping the Jackman Building as a historic landmark, proof that making history-and a little legal drama-never goes out of style.
