MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - A downtown Madison building that once housed the only company of its kind in the city was recently listed on the State Register of Historic Places.

The Wisconsin Historical Society revealed Thursday that building that once housed the Madison Saddlery Company, located on the 300 block of Wilson Street, was added to the register for its construction as an industrial loft in the early years of the 20th century. The company served as a regional distributor of leather goods.

Officials explained that the site, which was built in 1907, was created by architect Alvan Small and was designed in a Romanesque style. The four-story building has a wood frame with masonry walls, as well as an open floor plan and decorative brickwork on the front outside wall.

The Madison Saddlery company was a manufacturing warehouse and sales facility founded by Carl Hoebel. It closed in 1929 amid a rise in popularity for cars and the start of the Great Depression, explained the Wisconsin Historical Society.

The historical society noted that it is one of few remaining buildings in the Madison area that has an industrial loft still with a high degree of architectural integrity.

A developer proposed in February that the historic location, which has more recently housed a Rubin’s Furniture store, be the location for a boutique hotel.

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