Wisconsin State Reformatory Main Entrance – Green Bay, Wiscons
Built in 1898, the Wisconsin State Reformatory in Green Bay is a monumental example of early 20th-century correctional architecture, designed to project authority through its Romanesque Revival stonework and fortress-like symmetry. The façade, constructed from locally quarried gray limestone, features narrow arched windows, heavy masonry, and a commanding central pediment above the main entryway. Originally intended as a progressive institution focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment, the reformatory combined rigid design with reform-era ideals. The weathered sign above the entrance—still reading “Wisconsin State Reformatory”—marks one of the few remaining intact examples of this architectural period in the state’s penal history.
Built in 1898, the Wisconsin State Reformatory in Green Bay is a monumental example of early 20th-century correctional architecture, designed to project authority through its Romanesque Revival stonework and fortress-like symmetry. The façade, constructed from locally quarried gray limestone, features narrow arched windows, heavy masonry, and a commanding central pediment above the main entryway. Originally intended as a progressive institution focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment, the reformatory combined rigid design with reform-era ideals. The weathered sign above the entrance—still reading “Wisconsin State Reformatory”—marks one of the few remaining intact examples of this architectural period in the state’s penal history.
