Built in 1877 (Italianate architecture). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
“The Francis West Smith House is a historic house at 1002 W. 2nd Avenue in Brodhead, Wisconsin. The house was built in 1877 for Francis W.”
Wikipedia article Francis West Smith House, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 31 National Register listings published here for Green County · listed in 1979 · category: Building · built in 1877, Italianate architecture.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
An account from the chapter on Brodhead city. The inset identifies its exact source book and publication year.
The first to manufacture wagons at Brodhead was William Spencer, who commenced here in 1857. He manufactured a few wagons and continued in the busiiK'ss until the war broke out, when he enlisted in the 18th Wisconsin regiment, and went into the service. At the battle of Sliiloh he was severely wounded; removed
The chapter on Brodhead City in History of Green County, Wisconsin, published 1884 names Brodhead. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.
In the extreme eastern portion of Green county lies the village of Brodhead - one of the most important business centers in the southern part of the State. It is beautifully located, on an undulating prairie, which extends eastward from the Sugar river. The civil town in which the village is located is one of the banner subdivisions of Green county. The Sugar river, which winds its course to the west of the village, furnishes excellent water privileges here, which have been utilized, and now comprise a valuable concomitant of the village in propelling a vast amount of machinery. The inhabitants here are almost wholly Americans - people from the New England and northern States, who have brought with them the culture and refinement of the eastern States, the absence of which, in some portions of the west, is so painfully apparent. Brodhead is by no means an old town, yet a quarter of a century and more has passed since its inception. Almost a generation has come and gone since Brodhead became a fixed fact. While there is nothing remarkable in the changes that have been wrought, there is a great deal to occupy the attention of the historian and attract the interest of the reader.
Passage source: History of Green County, Wisconsin, published 1884.
The plat of Brodhead covers all of section 25, and portions of sections 24 and 36, township 2 north, range 9 east. The Mineral Point branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway passes through the village from east to west, and a branch of that line of railway has been extended from this place to Albany. The Sugar river touches the northwest corner
Passage source: History of Green County, Wisconsin, published 1884.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Brodhead City - 22,119 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 14 fires within 5 miles of Francis West Smith House between 2018 and 2020, burning about 12 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 7 |
| Smoking | 3 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 1 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 June 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 68 |
| 20 June 2018 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1.0 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 105 |
| 17 June 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 60 |
| 29 April 2018 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 78 |
| 23 April 2018 | Smoking | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 74 |
| 22 April 2018 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 72 |
| 15 April 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 19034 |
| 12 April 2018 | Debris and open burning | 1.0 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 64 |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Francis West Smith House: 3 past producers, 1 producer, 1 unknown. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coles Quarry | Stone | Unknown | ||
| Egan Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Knight Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Rock County Highway Department | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| State Right of Way Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Brodhead, the town this property stands in, in 35 storm reports between 1994 and 2023: 12 thunderstorm wind, 10 hail, 7 flood, 3 funnel cloud. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2023 | Tornado (EF0) | Brodhead | $200,000 | Tornado started just south of Decatur Lake and tracked to the north through Decatur Lake Golf Course, causing some minor tree damage. Further to the north, a barn had roof damage with a number of sheets of metal lofted off of the building. Tornado tracked into a small portion of Rock County before disapating. |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brodhead | $100,000 | The Green County Emergency Manager reported $100,000 of damage from severe thunderstorm winds 4 miles southwest of Brodhead. The damage included 2 barns/sheds with one losing it's roof to the powerful winds. The severe winds peeled siding off of one home, and broke windows and pushed in the door on another home. |
| March 2013 | Flood | Brodhead | $15,000 | The Sugar River near Brodhead crested at 7.25 feet, 2.25 feet above flood stage, at 1200 pm CDT on March 12th. |
| April 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brodhead | $15,000 | no account filed |
| June 1996 | Flash Flood | Brodhead | $15,000 | no account filed |
| June 2013 | Flood | Brodhead | $10,000 | The river gauge on the Sugar River in Brodhead remained above flood stage from the afternoon of June 24th into early July. The creek experienced moderate flooding, cresting at 8.86 feet at 2:00 AM CDT on June 28th, which is 3.86 feet above flood stage. |
| June 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brodhead | $10,000 | Trees down. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brodhead | $7,000 | Law enforcement officials reported trees blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts estimated up to 60 mph (58 knots) in Brodhead. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brodhead | $6,000 | Around 6 pine trees were knocked down as a thunderstorms moved through the area. |
| February 2018 | Flood | Brodhead | $5,000 | The Sugar River reached moderate flood stage, cresting at 9.59 feet in Brodhead. There is widespread flooding of lowland and agricultural land in the Brodhead area. Floodwaters cover roads about 6 miles downstream into the Avon Township of Rock County. Floodwaters are over Highway T which is on the border of Green and Rock Counties. |
| July 2017 | Flood | Brodhead | $5,000 | The Sugar River at Brodhead crested at 8.72 ft., which is moderate flood stage. There is widespread agricultural land flooding in the Brodhead area. Some roads are either closed or experience minor flooding, including Ten Eyck Rd. Downstream, floodwaters are over County Road T which is the border of Green and Rock County. |
| April 2013 | Flood | Brodhead | $5,000 | The Sugar River near Brodhead experienced minor flooding, cresting at 7.02 feet, or 2.02 feet over the flood stage of 5 feet, at 4 AM CDT on April 12th. |
| April 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brodhead | $5,000 | no account filed |
| March 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brodhead | $2,000 | Large trees and road signs were damaged. |
| October 2018 | Flood | Brodhead | $1,000 | The Sugar River at Brodhead reached moderate flood stage, cresting at 8.63 ft. There is widespread agricultural and lowland flooding in the Brodhead area. Floodwaters are over Highway T which is on the border of Green and Rock County. |
| August 2018 | Flood | Brodhead | $1,000 | The Sugar River reached moderate flood stage, cresting at 9.29 feet in Brodhead during the early afternoon of August 23rd. There is widespread flooding of lowland and agricultural land in the Brodhead area. Floodwaters cover roads about 6 miles downstream into the Avon Township of Rock County. Floodwaters are over Highway T which is on the border of Green and Rock Counties. |
| May 2004 | Lightning | Brodhead | $1,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brodhead | $1,000 | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Hail | Brodhead | $500 | A windshield was broken. |
| June 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brodhead | - | In the Brodhead area, powerful thunderstorm winds uprooted a few dozen trees and broken branches fell on and snapped several power lines. |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brodhead | - | General public reported a swath of downed trees from Martintown to northwest of Brodhead. Scattered pockets of felled trees were reported in a band about 3 miles wide. |
| July 2010 | Funnel Cloud | Brodhead | - | A trained spotter reported a rotating funnel cloud 7 miles southwest of Brodhead. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brodhead | - | County sheriff deputies reported trees and power lines were blown down by the strong thunderstorm gusts. |
| May 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Brodhead | - | Trees down. |
| September 2015 | Hail | Brodhead | - | no account filed |
| September 2010 | Hail | Brodhead | - | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Hail | Brodhead | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Hail | Brodhead | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Funnel Cloud | Brodhead | - | no account filed |
| August 2003 | Hail | Brodhead | - | no account filed |
| October 2001 | Hail | Brodhead | - | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Funnel Cloud | Brodhead | - | no account filed |
| August 2000 | Hail | Brodhead | - | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Hail | Brodhead | - | no account filed |
| May 1994 | Hail | Brodhead | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Exchange Square Historic District | under 500 feet | 1984 |
 | Albert and Minna Ten Eyck Round Barn | 2.8 miles | 2016 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 79000083 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Green County | All 31 listed properties in this county. |
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