Wisconsin Industrial School for Girls
| Wisconsin Industrial School for Girls | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | 1876 |
| Construction Began | 1932 (second location) |
| Opened | 1941 (Second location) |
| Current Status | Active |
| Building Style | Cottage Plan |
| Location | Oregon, WI |
| Architecture Style | Tudor Revival |
| Alternate Names |
|
History
The state's first reform school for girls began as the Milwaukee Industrial School, a private institution for the care of delinquent and orphaned girls and very young boys. State government began contributing taxpayer support in 1876, and in 1878 it was renamed the Wisconsin Industrial School for Girls; the state took over its operation in 1917.
The second facility was built in 1932 for juvenile girls. The historical designation includes 13 buildings–a school, maintenance buildings and ten cottages. A cottage system was chosen at the time to avoid the traditional punitive cell blocks or dormitory, and it was hoped that this progressive choice would provide a more homelike atmosphere. The cottages housed between 20 and 25 residents–young women between the ages of 12 and 18 who were supervised by four matrons.
Even though the cottages were finished in 1932, they sat unoccupied for nearly a decade because the entire facility could not be completed. The Depression set in and the State was unable to appropriate the necessary funds to construct the remaining buildings. When the school and administration buildings were finally completed in 1941, the new facility was widely praised as an ideal institution for wayward young girls. In August 1972, it became a coeducational juvenile reformatory; four years later the facilities became the Oakhill Correctional Institution (an adult prison) and its young inmates were transferred to Lincoln Hills, a co-ed facility for juveniles.
