Local historic district, 2002
Junk Removal in First Settlement, Madison
Updated
First Settlement in short
History and housing
What First Settlement is
- In 1837 Eben Peck and his wife built a log boarding house here for the builders of the first state capitol, the first Euro-American house in Madison. source
- After World War II the state redeveloped two blocks for office buildings, and 1960s and 1970s city plans marked the whole residential neighborhood for redevelopment. In the late 1970s residents moved back in to fix up the houses. source
- Following the 1995 First Settlement Neighborhood Master Plan, the Common Council named it the fifth local historic district in 2002. source
- Boundary
- Southeast of the Capitol Square
- Period of significance
- 1850 to 1930
- Local historic district
- 2002
Styles the sources name: Italianate, Queen Anne, Gothic Revival, Romanesque Revival, Dutch Colonial Revival.
Rules that apply
Clearing out a home in First Settlement
As a City of Madison local historic district, First Settlement is under the Landmarks Commission: exterior alterations, new construction and demolitions need a Certificate of Approval, applied for before the building permit. Taking furniture and household contents out is not on that list. Tearing down a garage, shed, deck or porch as part of a cleanout is. See historic district cleanouts.
For homes the city collects recycling from, large items are free: file a Large Item Work Order, put things out on the Sunday you picked, off the street and sidewalk, with appliances separated from furniture and lumber. If a private hauler empties your recycling, expect $35 per large appliance and $15 per microwave or grill; electronics at the curb draw a $30 charge.
First Settlement is on the isthmus, where the city's August move-out is concentrated. In 2026 crews emptied carts daily and collected furniture without work orders from August 2 to 21, in the area from the Yahara River to N Allen St, over to Grant St and down to Haywood Dr. Check the move-out guide and the city's map for your block.
Self-haul options: the three city drop-off sites (residents only, one pickup-bed load a day) and the Dane County Landfill on Maahic Way ($15.03 up to 500 pounds in 2026).
Common questions
First Settlement junk removal questions
Do I need approval to tear down a garage in First Settlement?
Yes. First Settlement Historic District is a City of Madison local historic district, and the Landmarks Commission must approve demolitions, exterior alterations and new construction through a Certificate of Approval before you apply for a building permit.
Is First Settlement part of Madison's August move-out?
The city's move-out operation runs on the isthmus and near campus, from the Yahara River to N Allen St, over to Grant St and down to Haywood Dr. First Settlement Historic District is on the isthmus; check the city's move-out map for your block. In 2026 the operation ran August 3 to 21.
What does junk removal cost here?
National cost guides put a single bulky item at $60 to $150, a half truckload at $200 to $400 and a full truckload at $400 to $800. Madison's own large item pickup is free for homes on city recycling, by work order.
Clearing something out in First Settlement?
Tell us the address and what needs to go. A local crew replies with a price before anything is loaded, and handles the stairs, the sorting and the recycling.