Initial steps toward the preservation of the McGowan Historic Site and House were taken in 1988 by the Society's Curator. He began exhaustive research into the history of the McGowan family, and the home in which they lived. As a result, a thorough study had been completed by 1990. This is how the house looked before we acquired it from the DOT and took over it's upkeep.

In the fall of 1990 the Dept. of Transportation finalized plans to make much needed improvements on State Highway 13. The new highway would force the house to be relocated as it would run only a few feet from the house. Rather than demolishing the house, the Wisconsin DOT fulfilled Katherine McGowan's wishes that her family home be preserved. Here you can see that some temporary repairs needed to be done to the house. The roof was in very poor shape and was the first priority to be taken care of.

The house and land was then deemed eligible for listing on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. Wisconsin DOT purchased the property in the fall of 1991, paid for the relocation of the house and construction of a new basement, and in the spring of 1992, the house was deeded to the Society for $1. The Historical Society began to work on the house and land to prepare it for the move. Pictured here you can see a contractor falling a large tree that stood where the house needed to be moved.

Stop Tour

Continue