The Architecture Learners' Toolkit
Local architectural historian Dr. Les Crocker has studied La Crosse architecture since the 1970s. In partnership with the La Crosse Public Library Archives, Dr. Crocker has published his research in different formats for folks looking to learn more about our local architecture. Explore blogs, videos, and books all written and researched by Dr. Crocker below.
"Architectural Styles and Revivals" Blog Series
- Architectural Styles and Revivals
- The Greek and Roman Revivals
- The Gothic Revival
- The Exotic Revival
- The Italianate Style
- The Second Empire Style
- The Queen Anne Style
- The Colonial Revival
- Romanesque Revival Public Buildings
- Romanesque Revival Commercial Buildings
- Romanesque Revival Homes
- Religious Romanesque
Other Blogs by Dr. Crocker
- The Octagonal Mystery
- Concrete Block Houses
- Sawmills, Nails and Immigrants
- An Unappreciated Italianate Delight
- Prosper Steves and Loretto the Cork Woman
- The Poisoned Pharmacist
- S**t Happens
- This Will Floor You
- Houses For a Hundred Dollars
- Port-A-Potties Are Really Mobile Outhouses
- Stinkytown and the Flies
- The Oldest Extant House in La Crosse
Our Built Environment: An Architecture History Lecture Series
With Dr. Les Crocker (more coming soon!)
Books at the La Crosse Public Library About Architecture
Local & Regional Architecture
- A Report on Some Historic Structures in the Downtown Area [of] La Crosse, Wisconsin | Dr. Les Crocker, Joan Rausch, and Mary Hebberd
- An Intensive Architectural and Historical Survey Report of La Crosse County | La Crosse County Historic Sites Preservation Commission
- Historic La Crosse: Architectural and Historic Record | Joan Rausch and Richard Zeitlin
- Images of Midwestern Architecture: Wisconsin | Ronald E. Schmitt
- La Crosse Buildings Through Time: A Companion Guide to Buildings Through Time Presentations | Dr. Les Crocker
- Places and Spaces: A Century of Public Buildings, Bridges and Parks in La Crosse, Wisconsin | Dr. Les Crocker
- United States Court House and Post Office, La Crosse, Wisconsin | Dr. Les Crocker
- We've Hung the Lantern: A Visual History of the First 50 Years of UW-La Crosse | Dr. Les Crocker
- Wisconsin's Own: Twenty Remarkable Homes | M. Caren Connolly and Louis Wasserman
General Architecture
- A Field Guide to American Houses: The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding America's Domestic Architecture | Virginia Savage McAlester
- Atlas of Amazing Architecture: The Most Incredible Architecture You've (Probably) Never Heard Of | By Peter Allan (children's book)
- Architecture Explained | Neil Stevenson (children's book)
- Architecture for Teen: A Beginner's Book For Aspiring Architects | Dr. Danielle S. Willkens
- Frank Lloyd Wright: Unpacking the Archive | Barry Bergdoll and Jennifer Gray
- The Illustrated Atlas of Architecture and Marvelous Movements | Sarah Tavernier and Alexandre Vehille