Old World Wisconsin


Old World Wisconsin is an open-air museum located near Eagle, in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. It depicts housing and the daily life of settlers in 19th-century Wisconsin, with separate areas representing the traditions of different ethnic groups who settled in the state. Costumed interpreters portray the occupations and chores of typical settlers of the time.

Overview

Opened in 1976, the museum is owned and operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society. The largest outdoor museum of rural life in the United States, it encompasses approximately 480 acres of rolling wooded hills. It contains more than 60 historic structures, ranging from ethnic farmsteads with furnished houses and rural outbuildings to an 1880s crossroads village with traditional small town institutions. A restaurant, gift shop, and conference space are located in the octagonal Clausing Barn. Trams run between the Scandinavian and German, African-American, and Crossroads villages.

History

Old World Wisconsin exists largely due to the efforts of German immigrant Hans Kuether and architect Richard W. E. Perrin. Perrin was an early advocate for the preservation of historic structures as evidenced by his involvement with the Association for the Preservation of Historic Buildings and with the preservation of the Mitchell-Rountree House in Platteville, Wisconsin in 1959. Perrin published a guide book in 1960 titled Historic Wisconsin Architecture listing 76 structures in Wisconsin that he felt were worthy of preservation. Perrin first proposed the idea for an outdoor museum in 1964 in the form of a "Pioneer Park". Perrin's inspiration for the park actually dated back to a trip he made to Europe in 1953 and visited European outdoor museums including Skansen in Sweden which he used as his model for the Wisconsin Park.
The effort to actually create the museum began in 1966, when the University of Wisconsin Department of Landscape Architucture and the Wisconsin Historical Society, agreed to have an undergraduate class at the university prepare preliminary plans for an outdoor museum. The proposals created were published in a report titled "Heritage Village, Wisconsin – A Preliminary Proposal". Following this, two graduate students were selected to refine and expand the preliminary programs through research, on-site investigations and design studies and create a master plan for development. The study was co-funded by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the State Historical Society at a cost of under $5,000. In 1968, the master plan was summarized in a 122-page report which also included an economic feasibility study by a graduate student in the School of Business. The project was named Old World Wisconsin and the Heritage wording was later applied to the Heritage Hill State Historical Park near Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Fundraising for purchase of property estimated at $30,000 were begun in January 1969. In June 1971 it was announced that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources would transfer about 560 acres of property that was then part of the Kettle Moraine State Forest to the State Historical Society for the museum. Development costs were estimated at about $1.5 million at that time with about 20% of that coming from private donors.
Development of the park was intended to start in 1972 and the Historical Society had already moved 11 dismantled structures to the site but work was delayed until 1973 pending completion of an environmental impact study. A dispute arose in 1973 with the Town of Eagle. The residents of the town were concerned about the impact the environmental impact statement revealed that the development of the museum would have on their town and the town board became concerned over lack of control by local zoning and building permits. The board had directed the town's building inspector to post a stop-work order at the site. The state filed a suit to vacate the order and $50,000 damages. The town countersued for $5,000,000 claiming that newly passed state law required the state to follow local zoning ordinances. The court lifted the order stating that work had started at the site before the law took effect on August 1 and was therefore exempt from the new rule. The town did not give up on their lawsuit until November 1974.
The park was dedicated on June 8, 1974 with a flag-raising ceremony. At the time there were 8 structures completed or under construction.
In May 1975, the society reported that construction was still on schedule but that estimated costs had risen from $2.3 million to $4.5 million but that donations had only produced about $1 million.
In December 1975 Wisconsin Governor Patrick Lucey announced that a $4 million fund raising campaign would be chaired by Herbert Kohler Jr. and his wife Linda. The Kohler family already had a 45-year history of historic building construction and restoration through the Kohler Foundation dating back to the 1931 construction of the Waelderhaus and the 1950s restoration of the Sylvanus Wade House.
The queen of Denmark, Margrethe II dedicated the Danish exhibit on May 14, 1976.
The museum officially opened on June 30, 1976 in time for the United States Bicentennial celebration.

Tornado damage

On the evening of June 21, 2010, the museum was hit by a tornado that leveled acres of trees on the grounds. The "Old World 4th of July" event was canceled because of the clean-up efforts.

Villages

The park is divided into themed areas that represent typical settlement from various immigrant cultures.
Three of the site's structures are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Buildings were relocated from locations throughout Wisconsin.
Structure nameVillagelocationImageBuiltConstruction/style/notes
Bicycle ShopThe Green
Caldwell Hall Education CenterThe Green
Clausing Barn/Gift ShopThe Green
PergolaThe Green2016
Ramsey BarnThe Green
ShelterThe Green
Guest Services/Family History CenterThe Green
United Brethren ChurchAfrican-American
Pleasant Ridge ChapelAfrican-American
Pleasant Ridge CemeteryAfrican-American
Shepard Family CemeteryAfrican-American
Pedersen HouseDanish1872moved from Polk County
Pedersen BarnDanishearly 1870smoved from Polk County
Ketola BarnFinnishMoved from Oulu, Bayfield County
Ketola HouseFinnishLog Moved from Oulu, Bayfield County
Lantta Hay Barn
Finnish
Ronkainen Sauna
Finnish
Kortesmaa Granary
Finnish
Makela Stable
Finnish
Rankinen Outhouse
Finnish
Rankinen HouseFinnish
Rankinen BarnFinnish
Kortesmaa Outhouse
Finnish
Koepsel HouseGerman1860Listed on the NRHP in 1973
Barn
German
Brewing Shed
German
Outhouse
German
Stable
German1850Astylistic Utilitarian. Moved to Old World Wisconsin from town of Emmet, Dodge County, west side of County Road EM, 1.1 miles north of State Road 109
Hog pen
German
Wood Shop
German
Schultz HouseGerman
Schultz BarnGerman
Schultz StableGerman
Schottler HouseGerman1846Cedar log house chinked with rye straw and clay, built in Washington County. Listed on the NRHP in 1973 as Christian Turck House
Held Barn
German
Jung Barn
German
Fassbender Granary
German
Kessel Bakehouse
German
Jung Smokehouse
German
Abandoned HouseNorwegian
Abandoned BarnNorwegian
Kvaale HouseNorwegian
Dahlen Corncrib
Norwegian
Sorbergshagen Barn
Norwegian
Lisbakken Granery
Norwegian
Bosboen Barn
Norwegian
Otteson Outhouse
Norwegian
Veggli House
Norwegian
Fossebrekke HouseNorwegian1845
Raspberry SchoolhouseNorwegian
Ward District Schoolhouse No. 3Norwegian1849Greek Revival, Listed on the NRHP in 1981
Kruza HousePolish
Kaczorowski OuthousePolish
Roadside CrossPolish
Benson HouseYankee/1880s Village
Benson BarnYankee/1880s Village
Benson GezeboYankee/1880s Village
Blacksmith ShopYankee/1880s Village
Hafford HouseYankee/1880s Village
Four Mile HouseYankee/1880s Village
Harmony Town HallYankee/1880s Village1876Front Gabled. Originally build it Town of Harmony in Rock County. Moved to Old World Wisconsin in October, 1976.
Peterson Wagon ShopYankee/1880s Village
Sisel Shoe ShopYankee/1880s Village
Sisel BarnYankee/1880s Village
StageYankee/1880s Village
Thomas General StoreYankee/1880s Village1876Front gabled limestone. Moved to Old World Wisconsin in 1992 from the SE corner of Hwy 18 and Waterville Road in Waukesha County.
Barn
Yankee/1880s Village
Outhouse
Yankee/1880s Village
Loomer BarnYankee/1880s Village1858Astylistic Utilitarian. The Loomer Barn was reconstructed at Old World Wisconsin in the mid-1980s as a part of the Yankee farmstead. It's an example of a three-bay threshing barn, tied to the period of heavy wheat production in southern WI.
Sanford HouseYankee/1880s Village
St. Peter's ChurchYankee/1880s Village1838Gothic Revival. Moved from 3257 S Lake Dr, St. Francis. Originally located at 2469 N. Murray Ave. in Milwaukee.
Administrative officesService/Admin/Misc
Concession StandService/Admin/Misc
Entrance Sign Service/Admin/Misc
Entrance Sign Service/Admin/Misc
FarmhouseService/Admin/Misc
Farmhouse barnService/Admin/Misc
Farmhouse garageService/Admin/Misc
Farmhouse shedService/Admin/Misc
Farmhouse wellhouseService/Admin/Misc
GreenhouseService/Admin/Misc
Machinery buildingService/Admin/Misc
Maintenance buildingService/Admin/Misc
Maintenance shedService/Admin/Misc
Maintenance shedService/Admin/Misc
Picnic ShelterService/Admin/Misc
Public Restrooms
Service/Admin/Misc
Public Restrooms
Service/Admin/Misc
Rustic RestroomsService/Admin/Misc
Storage BarnService/Admin/Misc
Tram stop shelterService/Admin/Misc