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The Rosendale State Bank

 Recently an old postcard labeled “East Main St., Rosendale.” came to my attention.  Pictured in the foreground was a two-story brick building which looked very much like a bank.  I thought at once it to be the work of William Waters.  I researched the State Bank of Rosendale and was pleased to find the results I was looking for.  The bank was organized in 1902 and had a building erected, the first floor was the bank office, and the second floor could be used for additional office space or for living quarters.  Business was good, the company grew and flourished, so much so that by 1923 a new and larger building was built on the same site. 

I found no written attribution for Mr. Waters as architect of the 1902 bank building, but it does exhibit many of William Waters’ hallmarks; the fenestration of the front elevation can be seen in other banks designed by Waters.  The window-pane brick work and bartizan like corners at the top of the structure are also elements favored by the architect.  

De Pere City Hall and Engine House

Back in April of 2016 I posted an article about the Brooklyn Fire house in Oshkosh.  Not long before that David Groth a fellow Waters devotee shared a picture of the De Pere city hall and engine house, it was astonishing how much the De Pere building looked like the Brooklyn fire house.  There were a few differences such as the balcony above the center door, it was greatly simplified on the De Pere building and was later removed perhaps for maintenance reasons.  The entry door to the right was simplified as well and lacked the round light above it as in the Oshkosh fire house.      

I’ve been unable to find any written information on the De Pere city hall, no newspaper articles, or written histories.  Photographic evidence is all there is to go on and based on that I feel the De Pere city hall was indeed the work of William Waters and was erected about 1871.  As to its’ longevity, photos show that it was still standing and in use well into the 1940’s or possibly the early 1950’s.

Appleton Post Office, 1876

 In the Appleton Crescent of 9/16/1876 there is a notice regarding the opening of the city’s new post office which was located on the west side of N. Oneida and Mid Way.  The missive reported that nearly the entire population of the city turned out to receive their mail and goes on to laud A. L. Smith for his lavish expenditure on the building.  Also mentioned in the report is the work of contractor Louis Bates who faithfully carried out the design of Architect William Waters of Oshkosh. 

The new Appleton post office bore a slight resemblance to the Oshkosh post office designed by Mr. Waters the year before.  The Appleton office was a study in classical architecture, five arched openings grace the first floor of the front elevation.  While three arches filled the center of the second floor flanked by windows.  An elaborate cornice capped the façade with a pediment center on which was inscribed “1876”.

The Residence of S. K. Wambold

Appleton in the latter part of the 19^th century was well established as a center of industry, commerce, government and education all of which made for a vibrant community.  Captains of industry grew wealthy and built dwelling that displayed their status.  One such person was S. K. Wambold, an entrepreneur and civic leader he served as alderman for many years.  His business venture included the Briggs and Wambold sash and door factory, the Lawrence flour mill and ultimately general manager and treasurer of the Fox River Paper Company. 

On May 29^th, 1879, the Appleton Post printed a short notice announcing that Mr. Wambold was to build a new house on the corner of Lawrence and Durkee streets and William Waters of Oshkosh was to draw the plans.  By that time Mr. Waters had designed many building in the city and had gained a reputation as thorough and amiable.  The house was a large frame structure with a brick veneer.  The front porch wrapped around the side allowing access to another door.  Double windows on both floors filled the space below a gable on the front elevation.  A hipped roof caped the building with decorative iron work along the ridge.  Inevitably the neighborhood changed and was the death knell for the residential structures in the area.

Vilas County Courthouse

Vilas county was partitioned from Oneida county in 1893 and was named for William F. Vilas a onetime senator from Wisconsin.  Almost immediately plans for a courthouse were called for.  A notice in the Neenah Times in 1893 stated William Waters was awarded the contract to plan the new $15,000 structure.  The courthouse was ready for occupancy the next year and was a symmetrical Romanesque design.  The building was of limestone blocks with brown stone courses and trim.  A central tower was flanked by identical wings of two stories with gable ends which featured fan lights.  For whatever reason the building was replaced in 1936.

The School at Niagara

 
The village of Niagara Wisconsin nestled along the bank of the Menomonee River did not exist until 1900.  Kimberly- Clark built a mill there and a village to go with it.  The paper company had done this before when it established a mill just north and east of Appleton and named the town Kimberley.  William Waters had a long history with the company, having designed an office building and plans for a house which was built by both Mr. Clark and Mr. Shattuck.   He was asked to design a school for embryonic community and perhaps plans for housing as well.   Where once there was a wildness there soon was a village of streets lined with tidy cottages, churches, and a school.

The school was a wooden frame structure which sat on a stone foundation.  The plan was not unlike the schools the architect had planned earlier in his career, but more utilitarian look about the design.  The school served until the early 1920’s and was replaced by brick building.