Two More Suspects

There were two other houses in Oshkosh I suspected of being the work of William Waters and I was not alone in my suspicions.  Both were not far from each other and very near the university campus. The first one was on Elwood Avenue near Scott Street.  It’s original house number was 188 Elm Street and was first listed in the city directory of 1891-93 as the residence of Orin H. Wetlaufer the shipping clerk at the McMillen Company.  

The house displayed several features often associated with the work of Mr. Waters, most notably the long narrow windows in the gables and a decorative apron beneath a small window near the front door.  There was a second-floor porch or balcony above the front porch and bay window along the south face.  The house was likely built in 1890 as Mr. Wetlaufer’s address in 1889 was number 44 Willow Street.

The other suspect was the home of Mr. Louis Rasmussen on Wisconsin Street near the intersection with Scott Street.  Louis was a mason and it was perhaps in 1894 that his house was erected as there was no listing in the directory of 1893 but the first list came in 1895.  This house also exhibited long narrow windows in the gables and a porch on the upper floor, elements common the both buildings.  At some point after 1903 the front porch of the Rasmussen house was enlarged, as the Sanborn Map from that year still showed the original footprint.  Both houses were resided which destroyed much of the authentic architectural detail.          

Mr. Repe’s House on Mt. Vernon

Years ago, I photographed many buildings I knew to be the work of William Waters, also those I suspected to be by him. One of the houses which attracted my attention was on the south-east corner of Mt. Vernon and Dale Street. in Oshkosh.  The house exhibited many of the signature elements that could mark it as the work of architect Waters; long narrow window in the gables and curved brackets.  To look at the house now, it is hard to imagine the beauty and grace that attended the dwelling when built in 1882. 

 The house was constructed for Charles Repe a stone cutter who’s name first appears in the city directory of 1876.  In those days, Mr. Repe lived at 64 Mt. Vernon Street and his stone cutting operation was on Marion Rd. by the river.  He advertised himself as a practical stone cutter suppling cut stone, flagging, curbing and coping work for cemetery work.  Business must have been good for by the early 1880’s Charles was able to move his wife and family to a large, stylish house further north on Mt. Vernon Street, he even became involved in local politics, representing the forth ward on the city council.   Queen Anne Style was all the rage then and the Repe house was a beauty; a porch across the front, long narrow windows in the gables and gracefully curved bracket supporting over-hanging roofs.  There was even an intriguing bay on the second-floor corner with several small windows and a cartouche-like medallion.

Charles Repe and his wife moved away in 1908 and sold the house to A. A. Steele.  The subsequent year were not kind to the house, the front porch was removed and the place was resided, taking with it much of the architectural detail.  Still one can see the grandeur that once was there.         

Two Diminutive Dwellings

Some time ago David Groth, a fellow William Waters enthusiast shared some pictures with me of houses he thought might be the work of Mr. Waters.  I was surprised by them for I was totally unaware of their existence.  I studied the images closely and was dubious at first, the arched porch entrance seemed too contemporary but then I recalled the Peter King house on Waugoo Avenue which exhibits the same arched entrance and side opening.   I had to agree with David, they were indeed from the drawing board of William Waters.  My research reviled that both homes were built circa 1895 with the house at 51 Pleasant Street being the home of William Krippene, a bookkeeper at the Commercial Bank.  The other house at 11 Bowen Street was listed as being vacant in 1895 but was occupied in 1898 by a laborer named Robert Simonson. 

Mr. Krippene’s house on Pleasant Street shows features that mark it as the work of William Waters.  Above the arch to front porch is a sham gable which is supported at either end by small brackets much like those seen on other jobs by architect Waters.  Over all the building has the look of a “Waters’ Job.”   Some artistic license was taken in the renderings presented here but that was done to show the architect’s intent and not as they appear now.

The house at number 11 Bowen Street was undoubtedly built as a rental property, as the first listing for it indicates it was vacant and subsequent listings have many different occupants.  Architecturally the house has arch openings to the porch and a curious small window high on a diagonal wall on the front porch, a feature seen on other Waters’ houses from the same time.  There is also on the side wall a small window shaded from the sun by an elongated eave.  Both dwellings are charming and diminutive but could house well a small family.