The wisconsin historical society (WHS) respectfully requests a save americas treasures grant to preserve andrepair the baggage horse barn, one of nine buildings in the ringling brothers circus…

The Wisconsin Historical Society received a $729,154 Save America's Treasures grant from the National Park Service to preserve and restore the Baggage Horse Barn, a historic structure within the Ringling Brothers Circus Winter Quarters National Historic Landmark District in Baraboo, Wisconsin. The total project budget is $1,458,740, with the Wisconsin Historical Society providing $729,586 in cost-share matching funds. The project will address critical structural damage and repair the building's masonry, windows, siding, and doors to protect it from further deterioration. This restoration work will enable the Baggage Horse Barn to be opened for public programming and interpretation, allowing visitors to better understand the historical operations and off-season preparations of the Ringling Brothers Circus. The project is scheduled for completion by September 30, 2027.

The wisconsin historical society (WHS) respectfully requests a save americas treasures grant to preserve andrepair the baggage horse barn, one of nine buildings in the ringling brothers circus winter quarters nationalhistoric landmark district in baraboo, wisconsin.from the early 1870S through 1929, the circus was the dominant form of entertainment in the united states.circuses exposed generations of people to innovative technology, diverse cultures, animals, feats of physicalprowess, and thrilling spectacles and performances. While providing top-notch entertainment, the circus alsochallenged cultural norms and shaped american society.as a transient business, a circus companys winter quarters offer the most tangible structural link to its existence and national impact. Today, almost all of these sites are gone. Nine buildings in the ringling brothers winter quarters still remain, seven of which are maintained by circus world, a wisconsin historical society site. These represent the largest and most complete historic winter quarters in existence.grant funds would be used to save and restore one building, the baggage horse barn, to the 1915 ERA, within the period of significance for the national historic landmark district. Historically, horses were essential to thecircus, with more than one thousand horses being used across the ringlings circus operations and performances in the early 1900S. Most of the horses were large draft horses, known as baggage horses, which were used to transport the circus when IT was not on railroad cars. The baggage horse barn in baraboo was where these horses were stabled, FED, and cared for during the winter months. The baggage horse barn is one of two remaining horse barns built by the ringlings to house their vast herd of nearly 600 horses. Of the two surviving barns, this structure is the only remaining barn specifically meant to house draft horses, the backbone to the circus. This grant addresses the critical needs of the building by correcting structural damage that threatens the buildings stability repairing the masonry, windows, siding, and doors to protect the building from further damage from the elements and addressing other major issues. When complete, this work will enable the baggage horse barn to be opened for programmatic and interpretive purposes, including serving as a year-round functioninghorse barn, allowing visitors to better explore the broader operations, diversity, and off-season preparations that made this massive circus so successful. The restoration will be conducted with commitment to the architectural history of the building. All constructionwork will align with the findings of a full historic structures report, completed by isthmus architects in MARCH2022.the total budget for the project is S1,458,740. WHS respectfully requests S729,154 in federal grant funds andwill provide S729,586 in cost share matching funds.