Of Things That Might Have Been

In the pages of the collection of drawings gathered by William Waters Jr. there were several sketches that seem to be for the same house, a large Stick Style mansion with an imposing central belvedere and ornate woodwork details. The Stick Styles' popularity was from 1860 to 1890 and was more prevalent in the east than in the mid-west, still there are some examples in Wisconsin.  Mr. Waters didn't work extensively in this style but these sketches represent conformation of his mastery of the form. 

It would seem this house was never built but perhaps they were preliminary drawings meant to encourage ideas.  I gave some thought to what houses this sketches may have been for and could think of only one, the residence of William Ellsworth.  The Ellsworth place stood on the corner of Algoma and Congress Streets, just across the street from Edgar Sawyer.  Indeed Mr. Ellsworth worked for the Sawyer Manufacturing Company.  Alas the Ellsworth home was demolished many years ago.

A comparison the the two buildings show some great similarities, enough so that I wondered if Mr. Waters had designed the Ellsworth residence.