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STURGEON BAY, Wis. - The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Dr. Joseph and Olivia Soper House in Sturgeon Bay (Door County) on the State Register of Historic Places.

Constructed in 1881, the Dr. Joseph and Olivia Soper House is an Italianate style residence notable for its exterior clad in locally produced Frear artificial stone. This early form of concrete was promoted as an affordable alternative to natural stone with the advantages of being both strong and versatile with a wide range of color tones and a nearly infinite variety of molds into which it could be cast. The artificial stone used at the Soper House was manufactured in Door County by Giles Kirtland, a former superintendent at the Frear Stone Manufacturing Company in Chicago, who purchased the rights to manufacture and sell the product in Sturgeon Bay

Frear stone was used at the Soper House for the block veneer, the drip course above the foundation, window sills and decorative hoods over the windows. Despite limited but successful applications of the material in construction, by the mid-1880s, artificial stone was largely replaced by more modern forms of concrete, making Frear stone a short-lived but important chapter in the development of modern concrete construction. 

The State Register is Wisconsin's official list of state properties determined to be significant to Wisconsin's heritage. The State Historic Preservation Office at the Wisconsin Historical Society administers both the State Register and National Register in Wisconsin.

Additional information for the Dr. Joseph and Olivia Soper House is available at

https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI49800

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: www.wisconsinhistory.org.

About the Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.