The Oshkosh structure of William Waters were and are to be found in every part of the city. However, nearly all of his residential works were built north of the Fox River. These dwellings span the breath of his career and reflect great stylistic changes from Italianate and Queen Anne to Colonial. To the east of Main Street homes are to be found along Ceape Street, Court,Waugoo, Washington, Merritt and Mt. Vernon. To the other side of Main Street, Algoma, Jackson Amherst and Elmwood were popular neighborhoods for Mr. Waters efforts.
Perhaps the best way to examine these structures would be by neighborhood. On the eastern end of Washington Ave, many houses of Waters' design were clustered near that streets' intersection with Hazel Street. Richard Guenther,
R. P. Finney, Geo. Hilton,
Charles Schreiber and C. A.
Weisebrod, all built just a few doors
from one another. Both Mr.
Schreiber and Mr, Finney were
bankers, George Hilton and
C. A. Weisebrod were lawyers.
Richard Guenther was a druggist
cum congressman. Closer to town were the
dwellings of E. C. Kellogg a gentlemen framer, living in town and G. H. Wyman a traveling salesman for the Schmit Brothers Trunk Company. Not far away down on Ceape Street was residence of Frank Metz a partner in Metz and Schloerb wholesale leather located on Main Street.
No lengthily verbal descriptions will accompany this entry, the renderings will be all the description needed. The homes located on the east side are for the most part Queen Anne in style with the later Foursquare style represented in the Kellogg and Metz dwellings. I've tried to do rendering of as many of these
buildings as possible but I've
found no images of the
Weisebrod or Schreiber homes.
There are but sketchy
descriptions in the newspapers.
In a press articles published in
1872 it is said the proposed C. A. Weisebrod
dwelling will be located on the south
side of Washington Street. No dimensions are called out but that the house will be brick with stone trim with basement and two storied high. The building will have a hipped roof an observatory atop the roof. The coast of the structure was to be $7,000. One may conclude, given the date of construction and this description that the house would be Italianate style with a windowed cupola to cap it off.
The Charles Schreiber residence has even less newspaper space devoted to it. Brief mention is made of it in an 1884 recap of new construction.
Bell & Cole were the builders, the style
was Queen Anne. The building was to
be 36' x 60' with a large number of
windows some fitted with stained
glass. It was to have a basement and
two stories, coasting $7,000.
I suspect there are a great many more houses designed by Mr. Waters occupying the east side and other parts of Oshkosh and I've a good idea which one they are. In a future posting I intent to talk about the many residences I believe to be the work of Waters.
Until then I'll continue with the examination of dwellings by neighborhood.
You capture my childhood home at 816 Washington perfectly! I'd love to talk to you more about the research you've been doing. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI know the grandson son of Mr. Metz and he said his grandpa had won a $5,000 national sweepstakes and that's how he paid for the house. Dave G.
ReplyDeleteGreat bit of history! Thanks.
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ReplyDeleteDo you know anything about 50 Merritt or 147 Merritt? My great grandfather JA McPartlan lived in these residences but when looking on Google Maps/Earth, they seem to be gone. Were they also designed by Waters? christiancpappas@aol.com
C- Your great grandfather shows up in Oshkosh in 1866, living #50 Merritt St, later renumber 147. That house was built before Waters arrival in town and is still there but has been moved. Your ancestor also resided at 262 Merritt which was razed in the late 1960's. I recall the house and feeel it may have been the work of E. E. Stevens.
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