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Property Location
Location (Address)
406 MULBERRY ST
County
Jefferson
City/Village
Lake Mills
Township
Unincorporated community
Town
Range
Direction
Section
Quarter Section
Quarter Quarter Section
Property Features
Year Built
1881
Additions
1896
Survey Date
1974,2016,2018
Historic Use
Architectural Style
Structural System
Wall Material
Cream Brick
Architect
P. C. Henningson & Enoch J. Fargo
Other Buildings On Site
Demolished
No
Demolished Date
Additional Comments
A 'site file' titled "Enoch J. Fargo House" 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 State Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation. Compliance number 98-0894 is for the demolition of the carriage house which will happen in October of 1998.
This impressive two-and-one-half-story cream-brick residence, set in a spacious wooded lot surrounded by an ornamental iron fence, seems well suited for a member of Lake Mills’s leading industrial family. The original house was built for William R. Harvey in 1881 and was a large cream-brick-clad Italianate Style two-story dwelling. This house was later acquired by Enoch J. Fargo in 1893 and in 1896 he had the original house enlarged and restyled, creating the exuberant Queen Anne style that exists today, whose lively sense of movement belied the staid image popularly associated with the Victorian period. The Fargo House’s polygonal bays and its three-story polygonal tower, topped by an octagonal lantern, creates asymmetry, while the tower, together with a polygonal turret and a multitude of gables, animates the roofline. The one-story veranda undulating around the facade is particularly well detailed with paired columns, bracketed soffits, a spindle frieze, and a spindle balustrade. Patterned shingles and sunburst patterns in the front-facing gable add rich texture.
The successively stepped-back masses on the facade correspond to the front hall, the music room, and the parlor. Inside, the elaborate oak woodwork includes built-in cabinetry and a massive front staircase. The master bedroom suite on the second floor still includes a sitting room, but the former ballroom, billiards room, and servants' bedrooms on the top floor have been reconfigured. The house is now a bed-and-breakfast inn.
Note: Liebenow states that the remodeling work in 1896 was designed by (Levi) Hicks of Oshkosh, WI, but the source of this information is unknown. P. C. Henningson was the carpenter contractor for both the original construction and the remodeling.
Covenant/Easement: From 7/30/1984 to 7/30/1994. A 'covenant file' exists for this property. It may contain additional information such as photos, drawings and correspondence. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office.
2016 - APPEARANCE UNCHANGED
This impressive two-and-one-half-story cream-brick residence, set in a spacious wooded lot surrounded by an ornamental iron fence, seems well suited for a member of Lake Mills’s leading industrial family. The original house was built for William R. Harvey in 1881 and was a large cream-brick-clad Italianate Style two-story dwelling. This house was later acquired by Enoch J. Fargo in 1893 and in 1896 he had the original house enlarged and restyled, creating the exuberant Queen Anne style that exists today, whose lively sense of movement belied the staid image popularly associated with the Victorian period. The Fargo House’s polygonal bays and its three-story polygonal tower, topped by an octagonal lantern, creates asymmetry, while the tower, together with a polygonal turret and a multitude of gables, animates the roofline. The one-story veranda undulating around the facade is particularly well detailed with paired columns, bracketed soffits, a spindle frieze, and a spindle balustrade. Patterned shingles and sunburst patterns in the front-facing gable add rich texture.
The successively stepped-back masses on the facade correspond to the front hall, the music room, and the parlor. Inside, the elaborate oak woodwork includes built-in cabinetry and a massive front staircase. The master bedroom suite on the second floor still includes a sitting room, but the former ballroom, billiards room, and servants' bedrooms on the top floor have been reconfigured. The house is now a bed-and-breakfast inn.
Note: Liebenow states that the remodeling work in 1896 was designed by (Levi) Hicks of Oshkosh, WI, but the source of this information is unknown. P. C. Henningson was the carpenter contractor for both the original construction and the remodeling.
Covenant/Easement: From 7/30/1984 to 7/30/1994. A 'covenant file' exists for this property. It may contain additional information such as photos, drawings and correspondence. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office.
2016 - APPEARANCE UNCHANGED
Bibliographic References
WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL 10/21/1990.
WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL 2/20/1994, P. 2G.
WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES 11/13/1995.
Watertown Daily Times 12/6/1996.
Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript.
Historic Homes of Lake Mills: Five Walking Tours. Lake Mills-Atzalan Historical Society. n.d., p. 41, illustrated.
Lake Mills Leader: January 30, 1896, p. 3; August 13, 1896, p. 3; August 27, 1896, p. 3; October 29, 1896, p. 3; November 12, 1896, p. 3; July 8, 1896, p. 3; May 11, 1899, p. 5.
Roland R. Liebenow. People, Their Places, and Things. Lake Mills, n.d., pp. 51, 53.
Mary M. Wilson. A History of Lake Mills: Creating a Society. Lake Mills, 1983, pp. 272-275 (illustrated).
Lake Mills Spike: January 25, 1881, p. 3; August 4, 1881, p. 6; September 22, 1881, p. 5; December 29, 1881, p. 6.
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
National/State Register Listing Name
Mulberry Street Residential Historic District
National Register Listing Date
Jun 07, 2019
State Register Listing Date
Nov 30, 2018
Contributing
Yes
Unique ID
HI6985
HI6985
Architecture & History Inventory
The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.
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Questions?
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For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
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