At Home in Waupaca

Mr. Waters  found residential commissions throughout the state of Wisconsin and Waupaca provided a few. The architects first job in that city was the county courthouse, built in 1881.  Waupaca was growing fast, many people prospered from that growth and many fine dwelling were being erected.  A brief notice in the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern  of July 28, 1881 states that the architect had residential commissions in Appleton, Neenah and Waupaca.  

The C. R. Hoffman residence was one the first houses Waters designed in Waupaca.  Charles R. Hoffman was the proprietor of a jewelry store; born in Chicago, he learned his trade at Giles Brothers of that city.  In 1881 he moved to Waupaca and found employment with W. Chady; after a year he bought out Mr. Chady and continued a thriving business.  He hired William Waters to design a suitable dwelling for his family.  The house was a cottage style the architect had used with great success on many other homes.  The main portion the the building had a long slopping roof with a diminutive dormer and to the right was a large gable.  On the side elevation there was a bay window which straddled the first and second floor and accommodated the stair case.        

Next came the home of S. T. Oborn; Oborn was born in Ulysses, Schuyler County, New York in 1849 and moved with his parents to Neenah.  He attended Baldwin University in Berea, Ohio for three years before entering a career in the milling business, first in Neenah, then Chicago and came to Waupaca in 1876, taking  charge of City Mills.  In 1884 Mr. Oborn partnered with R. N. Roberts and built the Crescent Mills one the the largest and best in the region.  At about the same time he commissioned William Waters to prepare plans for a new house.  The structure was of the Queen Anne Style and not unlike the home of A. W. Patten in Appleton.  A transverse plan was employed with a large gable at one end with a porch. Another porch ran along the front of the house from center to the opposite end and near that end on the second floor was a bay which rose to the attic level. At the center of the roof was a large eyebrow window.  The upper floors were covered with shingles and the first floor sided with clapboards.    

A. G. Nelson was born in Warmland, Sweden in June of 1849, came to Waupaca in August of 1871 and began work at the Eagle Planning Mill.  By 1873 in partnership with his brother J.P. and Ole Olson they purchased the C. H. Ritz Planning Mill which was destroyed by fire in 1877 and rebuilt.  Mr. Nelson was an ambitious man, entering the arena of politics he was elected alderman and later to the state assembly.  By the turn of the twentieth century he'd accomplished a great deal and wanted a home that reflected that.  William Waters drew up plans for a large classical style dwelling with an imposing tower at one corner.  A grand front porch dominated the front elevation and above on the second floor was a large bay window.  The house was capped with a bell cast hipped roof with dormers along the front and sides.

Two More in Oshkosh

I was remiss in not mentioning in earlier posts, two Oshkosh residences designed by Mr. Waters.  The first was a dwelling built for William A. Rideout, son of  W. K. Rideout, both prominent men of business, the latter president of the Thompson Carriage Co. and the former a lumberman.  

In 1889 the younger Mr. Rideout selected a lot on what was then called West Algoma Avenue next to the house built by former Governor Coles  Bashford.  For his architect he chose William Waters.  Mr. Waters planned a large Queen Anne Style structure of a simple arrangement.  To the left on the first floor was the front door accessed by a small porch.  Above the porch on the second floor were two small windows, to the right was a bay window which ascended from the ground to the second floor. The projecting gable was supported on either end by large ornate brackets and in the gable was an arch and railing that formed a small balcony with a door from the attic.  Along the right side of the first floor was sizable porch which adjoined a cross portion of the house.  The back part of the house held the dining room, kitchen and pantry and the second floor was given over to bed chambers and a bathroom.  Over the years very few changes were made to the house and it appears much as it did when built.  

The other neglected house was that of  Julius Due, a painter and decorator.  His house on Fulton Avenue was built in 1905, a set of blueprint baring the name William Waters, architect were found in the house during an improvement project.  The dwelling presented as a compact well proportioned Dutch Colonial style cottage with a transverse layout.  An enclosed front porch ran the width of the house, above which rose the roof.  The long slope of the roof was broken by a gambrel roofed dormer at the center which held two windows some small distance apart tied together by a lintel decorated with a festoon.  Above, in the very peak of the gable was a long narrow window.  The first floor was sided with clapboards and the floor above was clad with shingles. There were no external changes, leaving the house as it was in 1905.

Cook's Stable

The pages of "Willie's Book" have reviled yet another surprise and prompted some questions.  The image below is an elevation of an urban barn or stable and there was something quite familiar about it to me.  I went to my archive or what passes for an archive and located an image from the 1880 publication, "History of Winnebago County Wisconsin" by R. J. Harney which showed the grounds and residence of Ossian Cook on Church Street in Oshkosh.  I knew I'd seen the building before and there at the right side of the picture was the stable.  I shared this revelation with others and they agree the barn sketch and the stable in the picture were one and the same.    

The question comes to mind, "If William Waters designed the barn, did he design the house as well?" The design of the house is reminiscent of that of the Oshkosh residence of Wm. Doe built at the corner of Merritt and Mt. Vernon Streets in 1869.  The layout and fenestration are nearly identical, that is not to say this design was exclusive to architect Waters for I've noticed similar structures in other cities. There are other design elements that have a Waters like look about them; the original porch roof resembles those of the Frentz School.  It is true that the Ossian Cook home doesn't appear on any lists of jobs designed by Waters but there were many Waters' jobs that went undocumented.  It could also be that Mr. Waters sold the plans to anyone in need of a stable, for there is in that same publication a picture of Tom Wall's house with the same style barn.         

The insert photo to the left of the picture was taken not long before the house was leveled to make way for a parking lot.  At sometime the house was updated to look more Queen Anne in style; a tower was added, the front door moved to the other side of the house and a large porch erected.  The porch was abbreviated later, perhaps for maintenance reasons but the discolored brick indicates it wrapped around the side of the house.  The next question one must ask is; "Who designed the revisions?"  The changes were sympathetic and harmonious to the original structure.  The tower roof bares a resemblance to that of the Athern Hotel a Waters job from 1895, which may have been about the time of the remodeling.

P.S. I always thought the house looked spooky.

The W. D. Williams Residence

W. D. Williams started his career in the commission houses of Milwaukee and in 1868 he located in Berlin, Green Lake county and opened a wholesale business.  His choice of Berlin was a good one for it was a gateway to northern Wisconsin and beyond.  His success made him wealthy and by 1881 he wished to show the community his good fortune by building one of the biggest and most unusual homes in the city.  In the Oshkosh Weekly Northwestern of May 19th, 1881 an interview with architect William Waters reveled a plethora of jobs, most of which were out of town.  Mentioned in the list is the 32' x 64' frame dwelling of Mr. Williams of Berlin to be built at a cost $3,500.  A September 1881 issue of the Berlin Evening Journal quoted Mr. Williams as follows; "My house will be a large one, larger then the Harkness house next door.  It will be Gothic, something entirely new in Berlin."  The article went on to say only the finest materials were used, walls were back plastered for warmth and cross braced so as prevent cracking.  The carpenters pledged their finest workmanship.

The term "Gothic" was misleading, for the house was designed in the Queen Anne Style; with steep roofs, dormers, bays and various surface textures.  The imposing roof at the corner of the house made a great visual impression, aided by a balcony and dormer.  A generous number of window gave the house a light, airy appearance and a diminutive front porch added grace to the front elevation without overpowering it.  Only minor changes have occurred throughout the years; no ill conceived addition or remodels, leaving the house much as it appeared when built.

T. D. Stone's Residence

William Waters truly embraced the Queen Anne Style.  Some of his most beautiful and charming dwellings were of that mode.  One of particular note was the home of Ripon newspaper publisher, Thomas Devilo Stone.  Mr Stone was born in Connecticut in 1848 and came to Wisconsin in 1869, working as editor for several newspapers before purchasing the Ripon Free Press.  Late in 1875 Thomas married Carrie Allen and started a family.  By the late 1880's Stone needed a home befitting his status and commodious to himself, wife and three daughters. 

Built in 1890 and dubbed "The Elms" the house occupied the corner of two fashionable streets on the east side of Ripon.  A large front porch served as a welcoming approach to the front door and there was a  profusion of windows and bays on the first floor.  On the second floor, front and center, was a balcony and arched opening flanked to the right by a bay window and on the left by a set of double windows. Four windows topped by a fan light filled the front gable and many of the upper sashes were rimmed by lights of colored glass.  At sometime, perhaps during the great depression the house was converted from a one family to a two family dwelling, the fate of many large and costly homes.  The front porch was enlarged and an entry door placed below the balcony.  The balcony became an enclosed porch and access to the second floor apartment was gained by way of the original entrance.  The sashes of colored glass were removed as well as the shingle covered railing along the top of the second floor's bay window.  The alteration adversely affected the balance and rhythm of the original design. 

More From Willie's Book

I've spent some time pouring over "Wellie's Book" and have found some very interesting things.  One thing which caught my eye was a front elevation and floor plan of a cottage like building.  It looked familiar to me; the central dormer and window above the door, the symmetry of the fenestration and general layout.  What was most baffling was the floor plan; I understood the "K" letter designation to mean kitchen but why was it at the front of the house.  Then there was the matter of the large room on the back of the building with lines dividing the room, was it some sort of squash court?   

Another look at both the elevation and the floor plan and it came to me; this was the Kewaunee county jail. The large room at the back was the cell block, not a court for some frantic indoor sport.  Absent was the hip roof replaced by a simple gable roof and there was no balcony above the front entrance but these were clearly preliminary drawings for the jail. 

It gives an insight to the design process, what was appealing and what was not.  The feeling of a home like building was maintained from the the first sketches through to the actual building.  I will post more from "Willie's Book" in the future.

Waldwic

Edgar Sawyer was a shrewd man of business, a bank president, owner of the Oshkosh Gas Light Company and the Sawyer Cattle Company of Texas; he was wealthy man.  Mr. Sawyer had a mansion designed by William Waters and built on Oshkosh's Algoma Street in 1908, replacing a dwelling from the 1870's.  In addition the Sawyers had long maintained a summer house along the south shore of Lake Butte des Morts just west of Oshkosh.  The first house, Oakley Cottage was quite rustic and was replace by something less so. Known as Waldwic, the story goes that when the gas light company refused to run a line to the place, Mr. Sawyer bought the company and his summer home soon had gas lights.  The new structure was eventually expanded upon with several additions but by 1914 Edger Sawyer wanted a summer place that was up to date, comfortable, capacious and commodious.  

He again turned to William Waters for what the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern of April 23rd, 1915 called a "A substantial addition".  The article describes recent improvements in landscaping and new entry gate as well as the new house. " The addition includes a spacious veranda along the front, a reception room to the right of the entrance and a big living room, and, on the second floor, four commodious bedrooms. A sleeping porch for Mr. Sawyer has been built off his bedroom on the second floor."  The veranda was twenty three by twenty five feet and was said to be of a colonial style.  The lake end had a fireplace flanked by swings windows and the front was open but could be screened or windowed in cool weather.  The aforementioned reception room was fifteen feet square and the living room seventeen by forty feet with a fireplace like that on the veranda and finished off with quarter sawed oak.  Mr. Sawyer's sleeping porch was just above the entry and was supported by brick columns. There were two bedrooms above the veranda and two above the living room, all had white enamel trim and mahogany doors.  In 1947 the Sawyer family sold the place to William M. Brown of Missouri and since that time it may have had many owners, some of whom have made changes such as; bricking up veranda openings and placing mismatched windows in there place.  But all in all the house looks much as it did nearly one hundred years ago.