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Summary
The Isabel and Orrin Johnson House in Neenah is of local architectural significance as an outstanding example of the Arts and Crafts period of construction. The present unaltered house was built in 1919 by Isabel Johnson on the foundations of the residence she built for her mother in 1901. It exhibits a stately simplicity on the exterior, combined with period revival references both inside and out that is characteristic of the Arts and Crafts period. It was replete with numerous innovations in luxurious living, including a floor plan with interconnecting rooms and expansive fenestration, a spacious staff quarter on the second floor directly connected to the kitchen and an original heated three-car attached garage that connected to her sitting room and served her love of driving automobiles. Divorced by her first husband on unreported grounds, Isabel married millionaire industrialist Charles R. Smith of Neenah in 1900, the scandal of the divorce hidden by the popularized fable that Ladysmith, Wisconsin had been named in her honor. A great lover of theater and an amateur actress herself, Isabel maintained a flat on New York’s Upper West Side where her husband died in 1916. Isabel then married matinée idol Orrin Johnson, who had performed on stage opposite some of the leading heroines of the time, including Maude Adams and Annie Russell. Through his friendship with Hollywood pioneers Cecil B. DeMille and Thomas Ince, Orrin Johnson also starred in several groundbreaking silent films, including the first cinematic adaptation of “The Three Musketeers”. Orrin Johnson died in 1943 and following Isabel’s death in 1950, their home was deeded to her grandchildren and its contents sold at auction. The Arts and Crafts residence is listed in the National Register individually and as a contributor to the East Forest Avenue Historic District (2005). It retains a high degree of integrity with high-style features of the Arts and Crafts style on the interior, as well as the Georgian Revival style on the interior.
Property Details
| Criteria | Architecture/Engineering |
|---|---|
| Area Of Significance | Architecture |
| Period of Significance | 1918 |
| Architectural Style | Other |
| Architect | Unknown |
| Resource Type | Building |
| Historic Use | Single Dwelling |
Resources Within The Property
| Contributing Buildings | 1 |
|---|---|
| Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Contributing Objects | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Buildings | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Objects | 0 |
Designations
| Historic Status | Listed in the State Register |
|---|---|
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Feb 23, 2024 |
| Historic Status | Listed in the National Register |
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Jun 26, 2024 |
State & National Registers of Historic Places
The State Register and National Register recognize buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that are significant in national, state, or local history. The State Historic Preservation Office in conjunction with the National Park Service maintains the list for Wisconsin and makes the data available to the public for research and education.
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Isabel and Orrin Johnson House Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Isabel and Orrin Johnson House in the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 2024.
Isabel and Orrin Johnson House Listed on the State Register of Historic Places
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Isabel and Orrin Johnson House in Neenah (Winnebago County) on the State Register of Historic Places.
220 North Park Avenue
08000121
Located in Neenah, Winnebago County
616 E FOREST AVE (Formerly 520 E Forest Ave)
62165
Located in Neenah, Winnebago County
