Madison Originals Magazine Madison Originals Magazine May 2014 | Page 13

there’s a shadow line. That’s one of the
things I love about what I do—trying
to unscramble the mysteries of how the
house has evolved over time, looking for
shadow lines on the floor where a wall
may have been, things like that.”
Daniel’s enthusiasm doesn’t end there.
He’s completed photo documentation
of the house’s furnishings, trying to
determine what pieces have survived
from the Governors Period. “Over a
62-year period of students living in the
house, they brought in a lot of stuff,”
says Daniel. Sorting through myriad
furnishings, Daniel compared them with
historical photos of the house’s interior
with known dates. “When I tried to
track down those pieces which were left
behind when the Governor moved to the
Maple Bluff house, I found some pictures
of tea luncheons that the Governor’s wife
would host in the house. That’s how I
was able to make a connection with a
specific buffet and mirror combination
and the Governors Period.”

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Photograph provided by Madison Trust for Historic Preservation

What will become of the Old Governor’s
Mansion? As a vacant property still
owned by the Board of Regents, options
are being explored for either another
government unit to make use of the
building, or for the house to go back
to private ownership. Fortunately, the
future of this Madison landmark is firmly
guided by those with its best interests at
heart.
Erin Abler is a Wisconsin native
and a graduate of the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. She divides her
time between online content strategy,
information architecture, and
freelance writing.

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