Cook's Stable

The pages of "Willie's Book" have reviled yet another surprise and prompted some questions.  The image below is an elevation of an urban barn or stable and there was something quite familiar about it to me.  I went to my archive or what passes for an archive and located an image from the 1880 publication, "History of Winnebago County Wisconsin" by R. J. Harney which showed the grounds and residence of Ossian Cook on Church Street in Oshkosh.  I knew I'd seen the building before and there at the right side of the picture was the stable.  I shared this revelation with others and they agree the barn sketch and the stable in the picture were one and the same.    

The question comes to mind, "If William Waters designed the barn, did he design the house as well?" The design of the house is reminiscent of that of the Oshkosh residence of Wm. Doe built at the corner of Merritt and Mt. Vernon Streets in 1869.  The layout and fenestration are nearly identical, that is not to say this design was exclusive to architect Waters for I've noticed similar structures in other cities. There are other design elements that have a Waters like look about them; the original porch roof resembles those of the Frentz School.  It is true that the Ossian Cook home doesn't appear on any lists of jobs designed by Waters but there were many Waters' jobs that went undocumented.  It could also be that Mr. Waters sold the plans to anyone in need of a stable, for there is in that same publication a picture of Tom Wall's house with the same style barn.         

The insert photo to the left of the picture was taken not long before the house was leveled to make way for a parking lot.  At sometime the house was updated to look more Queen Anne in style; a tower was added, the front door moved to the other side of the house and a large porch erected.  The porch was abbreviated later, perhaps for maintenance reasons but the discolored brick indicates it wrapped around the side of the house.  The next question one must ask is; "Who designed the revisions?"  The changes were sympathetic and harmonious to the original structure.  The tower roof bares a resemblance to that of the Athern Hotel a Waters job from 1895, which may have been about the time of the remodeling.

P.S. I always thought the house looked spooky.

The W. D. Williams Residence

W. D. Williams started his career in the commission houses of Milwaukee and in 1868 he located in Berlin, Green Lake county and opened a wholesale business.  His choice of Berlin was a good one for it was a gateway to northern Wisconsin and beyond.  His success made him wealthy and by 1881 he wished to show the community his good fortune by building one of the biggest and most unusual homes in the city.  In the Oshkosh Weekly Northwestern of May 19th, 1881 an interview with architect William Waters reveled a plethora of jobs, most of which were out of town.  Mentioned in the list is the 32' x 64' frame dwelling of Mr. Williams of Berlin to be built at a cost $3,500.  A September 1881 issue of the Berlin Evening Journal quoted Mr. Williams as follows; "My house will be a large one, larger then the Harkness house next door.  It will be Gothic, something entirely new in Berlin."  The article went on to say only the finest materials were used, walls were back plastered for warmth and cross braced so as prevent cracking.  The carpenters pledged their finest workmanship.

The term "Gothic" was misleading, for the house was designed in the Queen Anne Style; with steep roofs, dormers, bays and various surface textures.  The imposing roof at the corner of the house made a great visual impression, aided by a balcony and dormer.  A generous number of window gave the house a light, airy appearance and a diminutive front porch added grace to the front elevation without overpowering it.  Only minor changes have occurred throughout the years; no ill conceived addition or remodels, leaving the house much as it appeared when built.

T. D. Stone's Residence

William Waters truly embraced the Queen Anne Style.  Some of his most beautiful and charming dwellings were of that mode.  One of particular note was the home of Ripon newspaper publisher, Thomas Devilo Stone.  Mr Stone was born in Connecticut in 1848 and came to Wisconsin in 1869, working as editor for several newspapers before purchasing the Ripon Free Press.  Late in 1875 Thomas married Carrie Allen and started a family.  By the late 1880's Stone needed a home befitting his status and commodious to himself, wife and three daughters. 

Built in 1890 and dubbed "The Elms" the house occupied the corner of two fashionable streets on the east side of Ripon.  A large front porch served as a welcoming approach to the front door and there was a  profusion of windows and bays on the first floor.  On the second floor, front and center, was a balcony and arched opening flanked to the right by a bay window and on the left by a set of double windows. Four windows topped by a fan light filled the front gable and many of the upper sashes were rimmed by lights of colored glass.  At sometime, perhaps during the great depression the house was converted from a one family to a two family dwelling, the fate of many large and costly homes.  The front porch was enlarged and an entry door placed below the balcony.  The balcony became an enclosed porch and access to the second floor apartment was gained by way of the original entrance.  The sashes of colored glass were removed as well as the shingle covered railing along the top of the second floor's bay window.  The alteration adversely affected the balance and rhythm of the original design. 

More From Willie's Book

I've spent some time pouring over "Wellie's Book" and have found some very interesting things.  One thing which caught my eye was a front elevation and floor plan of a cottage like building.  It looked familiar to me; the central dormer and window above the door, the symmetry of the fenestration and general layout.  What was most baffling was the floor plan; I understood the "K" letter designation to mean kitchen but why was it at the front of the house.  Then there was the matter of the large room on the back of the building with lines dividing the room, was it some sort of squash court?   

Another look at both the elevation and the floor plan and it came to me; this was the Kewaunee county jail. The large room at the back was the cell block, not a court for some frantic indoor sport.  Absent was the hip roof replaced by a simple gable roof and there was no balcony above the front entrance but these were clearly preliminary drawings for the jail. 

It gives an insight to the design process, what was appealing and what was not.  The feeling of a home like building was maintained from the the first sketches through to the actual building.  I will post more from "Willie's Book" in the future.

Waldwic

Edgar Sawyer was a shrewd man of business, a bank president, owner of the Oshkosh Gas Light Company and the Sawyer Cattle Company of Texas; he was wealthy man.  Mr. Sawyer had a mansion designed by William Waters and built on Oshkosh's Algoma Street in 1908, replacing a dwelling from the 1870's.  In addition the Sawyers had long maintained a summer house along the south shore of Lake Butte des Morts just west of Oshkosh.  The first house, Oakley Cottage was quite rustic and was replace by something less so. Known as Waldwic, the story goes that when the gas light company refused to run a line to the place, Mr. Sawyer bought the company and his summer home soon had gas lights.  The new structure was eventually expanded upon with several additions but by 1914 Edger Sawyer wanted a summer place that was up to date, comfortable, capacious and commodious.  

He again turned to William Waters for what the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern of April 23rd, 1915 called a "A substantial addition".  The article describes recent improvements in landscaping and new entry gate as well as the new house. " The addition includes a spacious veranda along the front, a reception room to the right of the entrance and a big living room, and, on the second floor, four commodious bedrooms. A sleeping porch for Mr. Sawyer has been built off his bedroom on the second floor."  The veranda was twenty three by twenty five feet and was said to be of a colonial style.  The lake end had a fireplace flanked by swings windows and the front was open but could be screened or windowed in cool weather.  The aforementioned reception room was fifteen feet square and the living room seventeen by forty feet with a fireplace like that on the veranda and finished off with quarter sawed oak.  Mr. Sawyer's sleeping porch was just above the entry and was supported by brick columns. There were two bedrooms above the veranda and two above the living room, all had white enamel trim and mahogany doors.  In 1947 the Sawyer family sold the place to William M. Brown of Missouri and since that time it may have had many owners, some of whom have made changes such as; bricking up veranda openings and placing mismatched windows in there place.  But all in all the house looks much as it did nearly one hundred years ago.

H. G. H. Reed Residence

Horatio Gates Howard Reed in addition to having a very long name was quite an accomplished fellow, born in Marshfield Massachusetts, he relocated  to Sheboygan Wisconsin.  Before migrating he worked for several railroads in the east.  In Sheboygan he partnered in a storage, forwarding and commission merchant company.  Mr. Reed served a term in the state legislature and then worked for several Wisconsin railroads, transit companies as well as the Kaukauna Water Power Company.  He was by 1885 a wealthy man and purchased land on the north shore of Lake Butte des Morts, just west of Oshkosh, William Water was hired  to design a large stylish home.  

 Queen Anne was the predominate mode for residential architecture at that time and included a verity of elements.  Mr. Waters plans were an assemblage of differing surface textures and decorative features.  The structures attic level was used to it's fullest potential, a series of windows along the front gave the house the look of a full three story building.  There was a large veranda and porte cochere on the front of the house, the roof of which was accessible from the second floor.  An open porch occupied the right side of the house on the first floor and above was a large open balcony.  In the peak of the gable at that end of the house was an oriel window and on the long sloped roof, an eyebrow window.  

The J. R. Davis house built in 1887 on East Wisconsin Avenue in Neenah bares a great resemblance to the Reed house, as originally built.  If one were to personify these buildings the Reed place might be the big brother and the Davis house the little sister. Overall the Davis residence is smaller, porches and balconies were the biggest difference.  A diminutive front porch and no porch along the right side of the house as well as an open balcony of the third floor are just a few elemental differences.  

About the year 1910 Dr. Ovatt purchased the Reed mansion and it may have been then that substantial remodeling took place.  When ever it was, the Queen Anne features of the house were obliterated in favor of a more classical style.  The line of windows on the third floor was removed, the gable at the right end was replaced with a shed roof and the balcony enclosed with windows.  On the first floor the veranda and porte cochere were updated and what had been an open porch at the right side of the house was hemmed with windows.  The house then became the summer home of E. H. Fahrney of Chicago and his daughter Mary or "Mad Cap" Merry Fahrney.  Eventually it became the property of a Mr. Leach who, in the 1960's had the building moved from the lake shore to it's present location.  Since it was moved it has had a continuous slide from grace.  It's been a number of restaurants, antique shops, private residence and perhaps even a brothel.

Willie's Book

Recently I question a fellow blogger about an image of a house in Neenah.  He told me he'd seen a picture of the house in an album compiled by William Waters Jr. and that the book was held at the Wisconsin State Historical Society.  I called the archivist to confirm the existence of the collection and by the description given to me, I felt sure it was what I was looking for.  I went to the archive in Madison, accompanied by my wife and after filling out the requisite paper work the file was brought to us. What was in the file wasn't the photo album I had anticipated but some thing just as exciting.    

Before me were the pages of a once bound agricultural journal.  Upon the pages young William Waters Jr. or "Willie" as he was known had pasted discarded drawing done by his father or J. P, Jensen.  It was evident to me that it was the work of a child for the haphazard nature of organization and mounting.  There were some engravings  of building not designed by his father and perhaps included just because the boy liked them.  Most of the pages were filled with small pencil drawings: elevations, floor plans and details of residential, religious and commercial structures.  The majority of the sketches were from 1876 as some of them were dated, Willie would have been seven.  One can speculate about the books creation; perhaps it was a summer day, the boy went to the office with his father and took up the project as a way to keep occupied.  This was a difficult time for Mr. Waters and his family, their infant daughter had died in April of 1873 and Mrs. Waters past away in October of 1875.  The disastrous Oshkosh fires of 1874 and '75 had kept the office busy as well as forcing Waters to find new office space.

The younger Waters finished his education in Oshkosh with a diploma from Oshkosh High School and then in 1888, went on to Cornell University, graduating four years later with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture. After a year of study abroad he returned to Oshkosh and worked in his fathers office. In 1896 William junior partnered with George A. Rockwell also an Oshkosh native and graduate of Cornell, opening an office in Green Bay.  Perhaps things didn't go well as the partnership ended by 1899, where upon William returned to Oshkosh and the office of his father, forming the firm of William Waters and Son.  In early June of 1900 William married Florence E. Bacon of Milwaukee and the union was blessed with a daughter, Mercedes.  William took an examination in March of 1902 for the United State government architects office, which must have impressed officials, because by April he was hired and assigned to Manila. Upon his return from the Philippians he and his family settled in San Francisco.  Not much is known of his work at this time but he became supervising architect of building construction for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. William's last visit to father came in the summer of 1917 but was unable to attend his funeral in December, there being business to attend to in California.  William Waters Jr. past away, November 27, 1920 at age 51, his ashes interned in Oshkosh's Riverside Cemetery on the ninth of December.