Black Earth offers small town life
Black Earth, Wisconsin, gets its name from the winding creek that gives the community a nearby trout fishing spot. Black Earth is also a small village and town in the rural region west of Madison. Tommy Van Ess, a Realtor with First Weber Real Estate, describes Black Earth as a small community with a “cute little Main Street” area. Black Earth’s “Main Street” is actually Mill Street, which passes by one local restaurant and a few shops. One of the shops, The Shoe Box, has building lettering telling passersby that it’s the Midwest’s largest shoe store. “We put people out there who love the greater Madison area, but don’t want to pay the high prices of being in Madison,” Van Ess says. “It’s just a nice little farming town with more affordable homes and a good local community.”
Housing ranges from ranch-style to new traditional homes
Homes in Black Earth are located along mostly straight streets. While many lots have driveways, it’s not uncommon for some residents to park their cars on the roads. Several homes also neighbor pocket parks with playgrounds. The area outside the village is mainly rural land with a few farm buildings and crop fields. Houses here include ranch-style, bi-level, gablefront and Craftsman homes. The village also has a section of new traditional homes. Homes mostly go from about $250,000 to $550,000. Costs for a few homes on the surrounding farmland run roughly between $600,000 and $800,000, but properties with dozens of acres can reach $4 million.
The village has sports fields, bowling and proximity to outdoors
Veterans Memorial Park is in the heart of the village. A monument on one corner of the park includes an artillery cannon and several placards listing the names of veterans from the Civil War to World War II. The park has some tree-shaded resting benches, an open field and a playground with a few slides and swings. There is also a tennis court here. Black Earth Community Park is in an area with a couple of baseball fields and a basketball court. It’s not uncommon for residents to bike through this park located off the banks of Black Earth Creek. There is also Black Earth Children’s Museum, which has a climbing wall and several interactive exhibits. “And if you go down the road, you got the Wisconsin River with boating, canoeing and a lot of sandbars,” Van Ess says.
Communities offer shoe shopping, beer and country cooking
The Shack serves burgers and beer in a brick building on Mill Street. Down the road, The Shoe Box carries anything from Crocs and running shoes to hiking and cowboy boots. Store decor includes a sculpture of a bull covered with shoes. The store also offers cobbling services and an affiliated discount business called the Bargain Box. “It’s huge. It’s like Costco, but for boots and tennis shoes,” Van Ess says. “They own like two blocks in town.” More dining and shopping options exist in the nearby villages. Mazomanie is home to The Old Feed Mill, an institution for country cooking. The restaurant runs out of a stone mill that opened in the 1850s and still grinds grain today. Cross Plains’ Piggly Wiggly offers one of the nearest grocery stores.
Wisconsin Heights district serves Black Earth
Wisconsin Heights School District covers Black Earth and gets a B-plus from Niche. Students may start at Wisconsin Heights Elementary School, which receives a B from Niche. They may then go to Wisconsin Heights Middle/High School, which serves sixth to 12th graders and gets a B-plus. In 2024, the Wisconsin Heights district placed first in Dane County on the state education department’s report card. The report gathers data in areas like growth and graduation.
Community summer concerts and Field Days
Throughout June and July, Veterans Memorial Park hosts the weekly Concerts in the Park. The series showcases genres like country, blues, funk and even polka. Local nonprofits also provide food for the events. August’s Field Days also occurs at Veterans Memorial Park. The two-day event has beer and food tents and hosts Kan Jam and bean bag tournaments.
U.S. 14 provides a commuter route to Madison
Commuters may take U.S. Highway 14 to Madison, 20 miles east. Wisconsin State Route 78 goes toward Mount Horeb, another Dane County village 10 miles south of Black Earth. Madison has Dane County Regional Airport, the area’s hub for commercial flights. Located 15 miles north in Prairie du Sac, Sauk Prairie Healthcare is one of the closest hospitals.
Area experiences frigid winters
Newcomers to the area should anticipate to deal with snow. The area gets nearly 50 inches of snow annually and averages a winter low of 11 degrees.
