Clean Up To Begin At Villa Louis

Once the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien drops below flood stage, clean-up will begin at the Villa Louis grounds on St. Feriole Island. As the river rose this spring, a section of the old carriage house and stable collapsed. The brick structure, built in the 1880s, was known recently as the Old Museum of Prairie du Chien. Wisconsin Historical Society staff says the building had been condemned since 2003 and was set to be torn down this summer. Years of heavy flood damage made salvaging the facility impossible. The Wisconsin Historic Preservation Department is asking to keep some of the building’s bricks once demolition is done.