Historic Cedarburg

Cedarburg’s vigor from its birth as a village in 1845 came from the power-producing creek that Irish and German immigrants found there. After building five dams and five mills, the life of the community flowed along the banks of Cedar Creek. The historic heart of Cedarburg contains a significant group of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century buildings that embody the distinctive architectural styles and construction methods employed in the city from the 1840s to the 1920s. The diversity of building types in the downtown historic district reflects its role as the center of Cedarburg’s social, commercial, industrial, educational, and religious activities. Despite this diversity, the buildings are strongly connected by similarities in scale, style, materials, and craftsmanship. Many were constructed of locally quarried limestone or cream-colored brick, and their skillful masonry work gives Cedarburg its special character, serving as an enduring tribute to the anonymous early builders and masons whose high-quality work shaped the city.

Cedarburg, Wisconsin · United States