Property Record
417 N MAIN ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Henry Blaeser Farmstead |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | Bayleywick Gifts |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 125081 |
| Location (Address): | 417 N MAIN ST |
|---|---|
| County: | Ozaukee |
| City: | Thiensville |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
| Range: | |
| Direction: | |
| Section: | |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1856 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | C. 1939 |
| Survey Date: | 2003 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Neoclassical/Beaux Arts |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Stucco |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | Y |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation-Public History. The home features 33-inch thick, stone walls that have been covered with stucco. Both the attic and the basement feature hand-hewn beams; adobe clay and animal fiber/horse and pig hair as insulation material. A circa 1950s sunroom extends from the main block to the south,while a late-1960s living room wing was added to the rear of the home. The front portico was added in 1939. The Crawford family purchased the land in 1839; however, the Blaeser family is believed to have erected the home between 1856 and 1857. Blaeser was born in 1817 in Hesse, Germany and, in 1870, the census noted he was married and had six children. In October of 1870, Blaeser sold the home to Gerhard Koopmann, who retained the property until 1906. In 1939, Carl J. Blume added the portico. The pillars were reportedly recovered from a razed mansion/building in Milwaukee and Blume reportedly paid $25/pillar. The story that has been passed on is that the Blumes admired Franklin Delano Roosevelts "Little White House" residence in Georgia and built the portico to resemble that home. The current owner, Mrs. Bayley, purchased the home with her husband in 1964. The property includes an animal barn/stable (AHI #125082). |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: | National Register Nomination Questionnaire, Prepared by Richard Bayley, 1987, On file at the WHS. Mohr, ed., History of Thiensville, 124. Incorrect info regarding the Crawford family were the persons to build the home. Milwaukee Journal 6/5/1994. “Architecture and History Survey: Main Street” WHS project number 14-1126/OZ. July 2014. Prepared by Megan Daniels. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |