The Tischer Block

An article in the Oshkosh Northwestern of July 17, 1873 listed the many jobs William Waters had in other cities.  There were several in Appleton one of which was a store for Mr. Tischer.  My early research on the subject yielded nothing but I thought I’d try again. I’ve since learned that Fred Tischer at age twenty-eight in 1854 came to this country from Germany and settled in Greenville west of Appleton.  When the civil war started he joined the 15th regiment of Wisconsin volunteers, and returned to Appleton after the war.  In 1873 Fred planned to erect a business block, a note in the Appleton Crescent of April 19,1873 tells of the cellar excavation for the building.  Also, there were numerous advertisements throughout 1873 for the Berg and Tischer Meat Market.  The Appleton city directory of 1877 listed Mr. Tischer as a clerk at Hackert’s Store and residing on the south side of College Ave., east of Oneida.  In 1885 there were ads for May and Tischer, groceries and provisions.  He died in July of 1893 at age sixty-seven.

The question remained, where was the Tischer Block and what did it look like?  A notation in a newspaper from 1874 said the Tischer Block was opposite the Levake Hotel, which was on the north side of College Ave., just east of the corner of Morrison St.  With that information as well as the listing of Mr. Tischer’s residence as being on the south side of College, east of Oneida, I knew where  and what to look for, a building of two stores with a stairway between them a, favored lay out of architect Waters.  Consulting the earliest Sanborn map of that area I found two likely buildings; one was the Warner and Whorton Block and the other was further west.  Next, I traveled along E. College via Google and low and behold found what I was looking for, the building at 111-109 E. College fit the criteria.  There was one feature that truly marked it as the work of Mr. Waters, that was the segmented pilasters that flanked the center window of the second floor.  Alteration were made over the years, new store fronts and smaller windows chief among them.

New London Mystery

This past winter the folks at the New London, Wisconsin public museum published a wintery street scene which featured a large house.  I was at once convinced that the house was the work of William Waters, and now I must set about to prove it.  I will have to pay a visit to New London and research city tax records to find for whom the house was built, then I can research newspapers for that name and perhaps an article about the house.  I also consulted David Groth, an authority on architect Waters and he too thought the house to be the work of Mr. Wasters. 

There are several things that make me think the place is a Waters’ job; the triplet window in the gable, the large bay window on the first floor and the long slopping roof on the right side of the front elevation.   Over the years alteration have been made to the house, such as an expanded front porch and new siding, but the structure remained intact.  I will update this post when I’ve completed the research.    

Neenah’s Schuetzen Hall

   The Schuetzen Bund of Neenah was a fraternal and benevolent group which in 1875 built a large hall on the corner of what was then Cedar and Columbian Streets near the center of town.  The hall served the needs of the group as well as being the center for many cultural events such as lectures, concerts, plays and parties.  It was said to be one of the finest halls in the state and it was a remarkable brick structure which sat on a high limestone foundation and capped a gabled roof with a belfry at one end.
 

In 1892 the building burned and all that was salvaged was the foundation.  The group was keen to rebuild and in the “Lively in Neenah” column of the Oshkosh Northwestern of May 26,1892 it was noted that William Waters was in that city drawing plans for the new Schuetzen Hall.  It was stated that the hall was to be built on the foundation of the old hall and use the same plan as those of the north side Turner hall in Oshkosh.  The new hall was to cost about $10,000 with the member of the bund being assessed $100 each to cover the expense. 

The plan never came to fruition and for many years the old foundation remained, being used as skating rink in the winter but finally converted to a livery.  One may only imagine what Commercial Street looked like had the new hall been built.          

                                    

…They Were Never Built.

Not long ago I came across an article in the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern of March 2, 1897.  The feature was a preview of buildings which may be erected in the coming season.  What was interesting was that the piece began with reasons as to why sometimes building aren’t built.  In this case two structures planed by William Waters never came to fruition.  The first of these proposed buildings was to be erected by A. E. Thompson on the Ely property at the corner of Algoma and Elm Streets.   A 70’ by 70’ stone and brick, three story structure was planned with the first floor devoted to two retail spaces and the second and third floors, flats.  The building was to include all “modern improvements” ei; light, heat, ventilation, water and sanitation at a cost of $15,000.  For whatever reason the edifice was never constructed, and one can only imagine how it looked.  Fire insurance maps indicate several buildings were on the Ely property.   

      

The other building designed by Mr. Waters to be mention in the article was a hall for the Danish Society.  It was to front on State Street next to the Northwestern Building and was to measure 45’ by 100’ with two stories.  No basement was planned, there being no way to drain it, so the building was to be heated with stoves.  The first floor was to be an auditorium and dance hall with a stage out fitted with curtains at the far end the second floor was to be filled with a lodge room, reading room dining room and parlor.  The total cost was estimated to be about $7,000.  One may speculate as to the buildings appearance and why it was never erected but later a fine structure, The Carthage Building was put up on the lot.  An 1890 map of the area shows houses occupied the spot.

The Winchester Academy

In March of 2017 I was contacted by representative the Winchester Academy, a lifelong learning society, now based in Waupaca, Wisconsin.  The group was founded in Winchester by retired faculty from UW-O and was based on the Scandinavian folk academies.  I was asked if I would give a presentation on William Waters and I accepted the offer.  The date of the presentation was set for July 31, 2017 which meant I had to get busy.  I started by making up outlines and doing more research, but the bulk of the information would come from my blog.  I tried my hand at a power point presentation and found I was inept at it, so I asked my wife for help and she came up with a beauty.

                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0shJ_XFqpQ
The day of the show arrived, and my wife and I set off for Waupaca so as to be there at four PM.  We checked at the library and met our contact, got the equipment set up and ran a test of the power point, all was ready.  We then went to dinner at a fine restaurant down the street.  Some of the board members were there as well as other interested folks.  One fellow introduced himself to me as Joe Jones and I looked closely at his face.  He was an old college friend with whom I’d done a few shows with but hadn’t seen in years.  The meal was great with lively conversation and opportunity to make new acquaintances.  Afterword we all adjourned to the library for the evening’s program.  The room filled quickly to near capacity, Joe Jones gave a warm introduction, the lights dimmed, and the show was on.  I launched into it with confidence and managed to go on for the better part of an hour, at the end the audience asked questions and some spirted discussion ensued. After the show I met other people, some of whom I had contact with through my research and one fellow I went to grade school with.  I later found out that the presentation was their best attended program of the year.               

Another Suspect

There once was a building near the corner of High Avenue and Division Street in Oshkosh.  It was on the north side of the street and was for many years the home of Muza Sheet Metal but was demolished to make way for a parking lot.  The building was erected sometime between 1886 and 1889 and was numbered as 80 and 82 High Street.  The first occupant was C. E. Angell and Company, a dealer of grass and garden seeds and may have he who had the building put up. The second floor was the residence of William Mainland, the secretary and superintendent of the Oshkosh Gas Light Co.  The seed company was at that address in 1900 but by 1903 the Oshkosh Spice Co. was there and by 1910, E. B. Morley a provider of crockery and glassware occupied the space.

I had always suspected the structure to be the work of William Waters and here’s why; The building is of a template often used by architect Waters, that is, two store fronts on either side of a stairway to the second floor.  The upper floor had a single arched window on center and sets of triplet windows with elegant arched tops on each side.   Although I only knew the building as painted brick I speculate it was of a cream-colored brick and not a red pressed brick.  Bands of limestone trim completed the façade for a stylish appearance.       

       

Mr. Waters' Barns

William Waters was asked occasionally by clients  to design a barn/stable or carriage house.  This was not a great body of work as it was only the wealthy who could afford to have and maintain horses and a building to house them, few if any of these structures survive to this day.   One of the last to be demolished was the barn built for Mr. Charles Clark of Neenah.  Waters had supplied plans for Mr. Clark's house built in the mid 1870's and a stable for the horses.

The structure fronted on Doty Street just south of Wisconsin Avenue and was a large building which housed horses, vehicles and ancillary equipment.  I found a sketch of a barn among the drawings collected by Willie Waters Jr. and recognized as the Clark stable. 

Over the years alteration were made to the building as it's purpose changed; the doors were enlarged, some replaced with widows and the copula removed.  The building was razed late in the twentieth century. 

Architect Waters designed other barns as well as shown by two drawings from the assemblage of young master Waters.  The barns pictured in the sketches were to be built of brick and intended for an urban setting.  A barn resembling the first drawing was built for Ossian Cook for his house on Church Street.