716 Langdon St. Built 1893-94 Madison Landmark National Register National Historic Landmark
Built by Timothy McCarthy of Madison. Designed with student gymnasium facilities and to be
military training and assembly hall. Big Ten Badger basketball games packed the gym in the
1910’s and 20s.
The previous gym was on Bascom Hill about where the
Carilion Tower is now located. A wooden building it
burned in 1891.
In 1904 the building was the site of the Wisconsin Republican Convention. Robert LaFollette’s
Progressive party gained control of the WI Republican party.
"In 1970, during Vietnam War protests, the Gym was firebombed because it housed ROTC offices.
The old Boat House was located at the back of the Gym