About Our Historic Building

Our law office is located in the historic Mansion Hill Neighborhood in downtown Madison between the Capitol Square and Lake Mendota. The building is listed in the Wisconsin National Register of Historic Places as the “Sarah & William Hobbs Residence.” It was built 1909 in the Tudor mode of the Queen Ann style of architecture, and includes elements such as leaded glass windows, wooden beams and built-ins, and fireplaces with ceramic tile and ornate wooden mantels. Sandstone for the exterior was mined from Maple Bluff, and was transported to the building site by horse drawn sleds over the frozen Lake Mendota during the dead of winter. The Mansion has always had private access to the lake, and its own pier.

The mansion was originally built for Sarah Kimball Hobbs, a prominent society woman and wife of Mineralogy and Metallurgy Professor William H. Hobbs. They chose the location in the heart of what was Madison’s fanciest neighborhood at the time. During the 19th century, the glacial ridge running from James Madison Park to the University of Wisconsin was known as “Big Bug Hill” because of the high society movers and shakers who lived there. Later, the home became the residence of the internationally known University of Wisconsin mathematics professor Edward R. Van Vleck. Like many other homes in the area, the mansion was eventually converted into student housing and carved into many tiny apartments, but it was renovated into five spacious condominiums by the Alexander Company in 1985. Diane and Hal Harlowe purchased the front unit in 1996 and restored many of the architectural elements while converting it from a residence into the current law offices.

Accessibility Issues

Our historic building is not wheelchair accessible. If this presents a barrier to you, please call our office and we will discuss the most effective method to accommodate your needs.