Ripon, WI Real Estate

Ripon, Wisconsin

Known nationally as the birthplace of the Republican party, The City of Ripon is a cozy community of nearly 8,000 residents located in western Fond du Lac County. Ripon has made a name for itself amongst homebuyers looking for a tight-nit, family-focused community that offers both small town charm and access to big city amenities. Though its location is decidedly rural, Ripon is home to excellent schools, gorgeous Wisconsin parks and a stunning variety of recreational opportunities. With the region’s close proximity to Madison (via Hwy. 151) and Milwaukee (via Hwy. 41), world class food, culture and entertainment are only an hour away.

Real Estate in Ripon, Wisconsin

Matching the city’s rural surroundings, the variety of homes for sale in Ripon can be described as well-loved and rustic. On a quick drive through the city’s streets, one encounters numerous beautifully maintained Queen Anne and colonial style homes for sale, as well as a fair selection of demure farmhouses. Buyers looking for more recently built homes will will love exploring Ripon’s eclectic mix of modern ranches and two-story homes for sale.  Thanks to Ripon’s startlingly diverse real estate market, buyers will have no trouble at all finding the home of their dreams.

Living in Ripon, Wisconsin

Life in Ripon is as beautiful and diverse as the countryside that surrounds it. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast looking to take advantage of Wisconsin’s natural landscape, a shopaholic searching for an amazing deal, or a history buff eager to see one of the most historic sites in American politics, Ripon is able to satisfy your needs.

For shopping, dining and entertainment, nothing beats downtown Ripon. Located in the city’s heart, downtown Ripon’s expertly maintained Italianate buildings are home to everything from artisan coffee roasters and cafés, such as Downhill Coffee and Muggs Coffee House, to local dining hotspots such as Fat Bruce’s Bakery & Eating Kitchen and Roadhouse Pizza. Complimenting the variety of restaurants is an unparalleled retail community in which fashionable boutiques such as Only Her and Hamilton’s Ladies Apparel are right at home with eclectic specialty shops like Soiree Urban Gifts, a purveyor of unique salvaged goods and crafts, and Suki’s Teddy Bear Store, a vendor of handcrafted fur teddy bears.

For those who find joy in being outside, Ripon’s park system maintains six parks, three trail routes and the Ceresco Prairie Conservancy, which safeguards mesic prairie, oak savanna and glacial moraine landforms. Fun in Ripon’s parks isn’t limited to the warmer months. Winter heralds the opening of numerous area snowmobile trails, as well as three separate cross country skiing routes. Most beloved of all, is the seasonal ice rink, which provides skating opportunities to the public from 9am to 9pm near Village Green in downtown Ripon.

Ripon also offers numerous opportunities for entertainment, including fascinating museums, thrilling concerts, live theatre and a unique movie house. Historically, Ripon has much to offer. The Ripon Historical Society maintains detailed records and photo archives, and also helps maintain some of the city’s most historic sites, including the Pedrick-Lawson House, which contains artifacts relating to the city’s founders. Additionally, Ripon contains two museums, the Ripon College Historical Museum and the Little White Schoolhouse, a former schoolhouse in which the Republican Party was founded. Ripon is also home to the C.J. Rodman Center for the Arts, which hosts live concert and theatre performances, as well as Ripon’s Campus Cinema, the first theater in what grew to be the Marcus Cinema chain.

Schools in Ripon, Wisconsin

Education, like life in Ripon, is a community effort. Thankfully, the staff and students who contribute to the stellar learning environment at the Ripon Area School District are some of the most upbeat and attendant in the state. The school district, which is comprised of a preschool program, three elementary schools, two middle schools, a high school and a charter school, is focused on educating its students both classically and modernly, paying particular focus to new learning technologies and the arts, as is evident in the school’s numerous media centers. Students looking to attend a college close to home will delight in the time-honored teaching traditions on display at Ripon College, a liberal arts and sciences college offering student focused undergraduate degrees.

Business in Ripon, Wisconsin

Business in Ripon continues to thrive, thanks in part to the perfect equilibrium between large industrial employers such as Alliance Laundry Systems, a provider of high-quality laundry products and services, and the ever-prosperous ecosystem of local businesses which provide everything from delectable cookies (at Rippin’ Good Cookie Outlet Store), to one-of-a-kind country gifts (at Hounsell’s East Side Country Market). Helping connect the consumer to the city’s wonderful mix of businesses is the Ripon  Chamber of Commerce, which, in addition to compiling a comprehensive business directory, organizes numerous community events and provides resources for families looking to relocate to the area.

History of Ripon, Wisconsin

Ripon proper was founded in 1858, when the villages of Ceresco and Ripon consolidated and incorporated. The new city was named for the Ripon Cathedral in the City of Ripon, North Yorkshire in England. Ripon founder David P. Mapes, a steamboat captain from New York, helped guide the city through its early years, and helped found Ripon College (originally named Brockway College) in 1851.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Ripon’s history is that it served as the birthplace of the Republican Party. On February 28th, 1854, nearly thirty anti-slavery activists met in what is now known as the Little White Schoolhouse to express their opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Refusing to compromise on slavery, the small group of Ripon citizens went on to found one of America’s most influential and enduring political parties.

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