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.  

Alton Ripley Residence

There isn't much information about the Alton Ripley residence in Fisk Wisconsin.  There were no newspaper articles announcing Ripleys' intent to build or to use Mr. Waters as architect.  In point of fact the only proof I have of Waters' authorship of the plans is a drawing done by J. P. Jensen the firms' draftsman.  It's one of a hand full of rendering I acquired many years ago after they were carelessly disposed of following an exhibit of Oshkosh architecture, at the university.  All the drawings were of structures built in the 1880's and 90's which leads me to believe the Ripley house was built circa 1890.  

The house is unlike any other job done by Waters, it is the only house of his, I know of  with a gambrel roof. Laid out on a lengthwise plan, there was a small porch on the front set within the footprint of the building.  To the left of the porch on the first floor was a set of double windows and above in the gambrel gable were two separate windows.  There was an intersecting a gable roof about half way along the side of the house.  On the first floor of the north elevation there was a set of triplet windows in the dining room with pantry and kitchen windows beyond. Above on the second floor a small dormer with a diminutive window preceded the gable overhang supported by graceful brackets.  Shaded by the protruding gable was a large stair case window starting just below the  upper floor which continued to the sofitt.  A set of double and one single window completed the fenestration on that wall. The south side also had a protruding gable and a bay window from first to second floor. There was an open, covered side porch with ornate bracket to support the roof.  Next to the bay on the second floor was another window and a small aperture occupied the gable. 

Alton Ripley was the son of Sylvanus Ripley, a partner in the lumber company Ripley and Mead.  The elder Ripley resided at 257 Algoma St. and also owned 120 acres just north of the village of Fisk southwest of Oshkosh, Alton too lived at the Algoma St. address.  The younger Ripley had a number of occupations: book keeper for Ripley and Mead, President of the Lord Bros. Jewelry Co.of  Milwaukee, proprietor of the Wuapaca Granite Quarry and a manufacturer of fire apparatus.  The Ripleys remained residence of Algoma St. even after Sylvanus' death in 1897, never was their address listed as Fisk, Wisconsin.

A few years ago I paid a visit to Fisk, ostensibly to find the house.  I was richly rewarded, for when I located the farm I stopped and made the acquaintance of Helen Kleinschmidt.  She and her husband George moved to the farm just after the war, for an hour we looked through old photographs as she reminisced,  At last I asked if I might take some pictures of the place, she was happy to oblige. Perhaps sometime in the 1960's the house was altered: the front porch enclosed and large windows to replace the set of double windows.  A sizable addition was erected on the north side of the house while the side porch on the south face was enclosed.

The Wm. Prentice Residence

William Waters got off to a great start in Oshkosh with commissions from the state of Wisconsin for the Normal School in that city and superintendent architect of construction for the Northern State Hospital, as well  as several city jobs. Being a fine architect and savvy businessman Mr. Waters took full advantage of the good economic times and sought jobs feather-a-field.  One of his first jobs to take him out of town was the residence of William Prentice, woolen mill operator of Sheboygan Falls.  Mr. Prentice wanted a fine home befitting his status in the community. The Sheboygan County News published a report on March 4, 

1870 on the new residence to be built by Prentice, using the finest materials; 60,000 bricks from the Whipple & Goodrich Brick Yard had been gathered for the two story house which was to measure 32' x 36'.  The basement was to house the dining room, kitchen and servants' quarters, while on the first floor were the parlor and conservatory, guest and family bed rooms occupied  the second floor.

The interior lay out dictated a very singular exterior: Architect Water employed a Second Empire Style, rarely used by him.  The structure was a celebration of asymmetry.  Because the basement accommodated the dining and other essential rooms the first floor was higher off the ground than might be expected.  There was on the front elevation, just to the right of center, a tower which held the front entry.  To get to the doors one had to mount a flight of stairs to a platform with railings; a set of large double doors was hooded by a balcony above and there too was another set of doors.  To the right of the tower on the main floor was a covered porch which could be accessed from the parlor.  Left of the tower on the same floor were two set of window fronted by another balcony.  Along the right side, a bay window projected from the main floor and a lofty chimney pierced the roof line.  A mansard roof with dormers on all sides topped the house as well as the tower which was finished off with decorative iron work.  At sometime, perhaps around the turn of the century a large covered porch was added, changing the character of the structure.  From 1943 until 1968 the building served as the Sheboygan Falls Public Library after which it once again became a private dwelling.

Your Indulgence Please

Recently I became a follower of a blog called "An American Downton Abbey" by Peter Adams.  Mr. Adams lives in Neenah in the house built by his great grandfather H. Babcock, a co-founder of the Kimberly Clark Corporation.  His home has been mentioned more than once in this blog as the work of William Waters.  Reading Mr. Adams blog got me thinking about my interest in Mr. Waters.  I rarely personalize my postings because this blog is about William Water, not me.  Please indulge me this one time reminiscence.  

I recall most vividly the first time I saw the Babcock house in Neenah.  After my mother past, my maternal grandmother would take my sister, brother and me on little outings. She would pack a picnic lunch and load us in the back seat of her dark blue 1950 Chevrolet and off we went.  Perhaps it would be to visit old friends in Appleton or to High Cliff but often it was to picnic in Neenah's Riverside Park.  She was born and raised in Neenah and knew the city well.  On one beautiful summer day when I was four or five and just becoming more aware of my surroundings we stopped to picnic in Riverside Park along East Wisconsin Avenue just in front of the line of towering mansions.  At the time I was ignorant to the significance of the street or the houses lining it.  I was impressed by many things that day; the green grass, the beautiful harbor, the good food served to us but most of all the graceful houses across the street.  

The one that most interested me was the one with the great round tower and imposing porch, the Babcock place.  Set within a backdrop of souring trees in full summer foliage it looked as a castle in a sylvan glen. My gaze took in all aspects of the great house, in particular the prominent tower; the combination of wood and brick and all the windows.  The dark green shades pulled half way down, the white curtains and the dark void of the room beyond gave me to wonder who lived there?  Were there children within or did elderly people dwell there?  All these question were forgotten as my brother , sister and I played in and explored the park under grandma's watchful eye.  Time wore on and we children grew tired, it was time to pack up and leave.  There would be more picnics in the park with grandma and visits to my uncles and their families living in Neenah, Menasha. Trips there were not uncommon and as I grew so did my interest and appreciation in the history and architecture of Neenah.  

It was not, however until I was in college that I became most keenly aware of the works of William Waters and his affect on the communities I grew up in.  Through my research I found the church I was baptized in, the schools I attended from kindergarten to the eighth grade, the library and museum I loved to visit were all his handy work.  Many of the beautiful homes I admired in my neighborhood and elsewhere too were of his hand.  I realized his buildings were all round me and not just in Oshkosh but in Neenah, Menasha, Appleton and beyond.  I try to bring to others an appreciation for Architect Waters quality and quantity of work.

More Schools for Neenah, Menasha

William Waters continued to design schools in both Neenah and Menasha.  Over the years from 1888 to 1894 he drew plans for two schools in each city.  1888 was a very busy year for Mr. Waters with projects in Oshkosh as well as a school and city hall in Neenah.  Most of the press was given over to the progress of the new city hall and no mention made of the school boards decision to replace the ageing and cramped Third Ward School.  Architect Waters delivered a beautiful Queen Anne Style edifice with Tudor style details, the Stevens Point School Board also used the same plans for the Fifth Ward School in that city

These buildings had been described as Tudor Style but that was not a term that would have been used in 1888.  The buildings' plan was simple, a large pavilion adorned with an imposing bell tower next to a covered arched portico with another pavilion at a right angle to the left.  

Neenahs' school was constructed of very light colored brick while the Stevens Point permutation used a darker sandy brick; both had decorative contrasting darker courses of brick. Neenahs' third ward, located on Doty Island, built the new school on Forest Avenue between First and Second Streets.  By 1923 the building had become inadequate despite a large addition erected about 1900, it was razed and replace by Roosevelt School.  A comparison of these two structure and Oshkoshs' First Ward School built in 1886 show that they are mirror images of each other in lay out. The later schools are smaller and differ in style but the similarity is unmistakable.  

Manashas' forth ward was by 1891 in need of a new school as well.  Architect Waters was hired and drew up plans for a pleasing yet compact building located on Manitowoc St. between First and Second Streets.  The structure cost $10,000  and was the pride of the city.  Built in the Queen Anne Style the building was symmetrical with the front elevation consisting of an arched entry, above which were four windows and a pediment raising to a peak just below a diminutive and elegant belfry set upon a hip roof.  There were six window on each side of center, two on every level from the basement to the second floor. Constructed of a light colored brick with contrasting dark bands the lintels, sills pediment cap and other trim were of limestone.  The building was replaced by Jefferson School built about two blocks to the east.

In the Neenah Times of April 4, 1893 an extensive article with a wood cut of the new Second Ward School was published.  There was perhaps some significance attached to this write up as few illustrations appeared in the newspapers of the day, wood cut being expensive to produce.  The missive states,"The plans and specifications are by Architect Wm. Waters of Oshkosh, whose fame as a successful architect is well known."  By way of description the school was of a light colored brick with limestone trim and measured 64' 6" by 89' 6"  with three class rooms and adjoining clock rooms on both floors.  The school was a fanciful Queen Anne Style, almost castle like in appearance with a playful fenestration, a lofty 76' high tower, arched entry portico, a hip roof with an "eyebrow window" and built for a total cost of $15,350. In service for many years there was at least one addition placed on the school before being replaced and demolished.  

Menasha also kept Mr. Waters occupied with a new Third Ward School built in 1894 to replace a school in Smith Park, dating from 1879.  The new structure was on the corner of Ahnaip and Nassau Streets and displayed a movement away from the Queen Anne Style and toward the more Classical Style as seen in the Wittenberg High School. Still present was a prominent bell tower but most of the other picturesque details were gone.  Laid out in a lengthwise plan the front of the building had basement windows, two arched windows on the first floor and two set of double windows on the second floor, a hip roof with dormers crowned the structure.  A short distance along the right side wall arose the tower which also held the entrance, a limestone arch with doors beyond.  There were windows at the second floor and attic levels of the belfry and it was topped by a bell deck with arches which echoed that of the front entry, the bell was said to have once occupied the Tayco Street firehouse.  The window arrangement on the right side indicated that a hallway and staircase were just inside the front doors.  By 1919 the school had become overcrowded and a barracks like building was erected for class rooms and more land acquired for play ground.  In 1926 it was replaced by Nicolet School..

Neenah High School

The city of Neenah provided many opportunities for Mr. Waters to ply his trade.  He designed all kinds of buildings in that community, several of them were schools.  Prime among them was the First Ward School, which was built in 1879 and served grades one through eight as well as the high school.  By that time styles were in transition from Italianate to Queen Anne and the school showed influences of both.  The building was built of stone from a local quarry and bricks from a Neenah brick yard at a cost of $15,600, with a heating system and school furnishing the price tag came to $25,000. 

The building was longer than it was wide and had wings on each side with entrances.  On the front elevation, a flight of steps carried one to the front doors situated in a small portico with decorative iron work along the roof top.  Above this portal was a set double windows and in the peak of a gable like facade was a set of small windows.  Beyond these apertures arose a great bell tower with louvered openings and intricate if not unusual roof details.  Fenestration on the front elevation consisted of twelve windows; two on either side of the door from foundation to the second floor.  Side walls back to the wings had nine window, three on each level.  The front walls of the wings had entries which echoed the front door with but a single window above. Around the corner the side walls continued back with nine openings and a small window in the gable.  That portion of the building behind the wing was the mirror image of that in front.  A low pitched hip roof with flat top covered the school, with low balustrade running the perimeter at the roof's crest and an eminence chimney issued from the center of the roof.  A new structure, Kimberly High School was built in 1906 but the First Ward School remained as a grade school and was extensively remodeled in the 1930's or 40's, the bell tower was removed, some windows bricked up and large windows added to admit more light.  It was renamed Washington School and was kept in use until 1976 when a new school was built and the old one razed.

Sheboygan Falls High School

As stated in earlier posts William Waters engaged in the practice of architecture soon after arriving in Oshkosh.  It also wasn't' long before he was getting commissions from out of town.  An early such job came from woolen mill owner William Prentice of Sheboygan Falls.  The Sheboygan County News of March 4, 1870 reported that Mr. Prentice was gathering materials for his new dwelling as designed by Architect Waters of Oshkosh.  Surly on a visit to that city Waters must have secured the contract for the new high school to be built, for an announcement in the Winnebago County Press of  August 20,1870 credits him with the design.  Reference was made in the passage that work would commence in the fall.   

Mr. Waters utilized the Italianate style which was becoming the new fashion in architecture, he used a similar design on Oshkosh's Franklin School in 1871.  The Sheboygan Falls school was of brick and sat on a high foundation and employed a lengthwise plan with the entry a the center of a narrower portion at the front of the building.  Fenestration through out the building exhibited roman arches.  The entrance was gained by a flight of steps and was a set of double doors with a fan light above.  To each side of the doors were single windows and above the door was a set of double widows flanked by single windows, in the gable was a small round window and atop the roof was a wooden bell tower.  The walls receding to the main structure were perhaps fifteen feet and at the intersection there was a single window on both floors as well as on the short adjacent walls.  Turning the corner, the school continued for a distance of fifty or sixty feet, along it's course were three chimneys and ten single windows and set of double on the first floor with a window and door to a fire escape above.  A low pitched hip roof with a balustrade about the perimeter near the peak capped the building.  As designed the school had mostly single windows along the sides but this must have prove problematic for as the building aged windows were added.  A postcard image from the 1880's shows double windows on the first story and an image from 1890's features additional windows on the second floor.  In 1900 a replacement was built  next to the old school which continued to serve as an elementary school until it was razed in 1968.