Mix’s architecture was significant because it brought cosmopolitan influences to the midwest. Seeing Villa Louis in its midwest setting is surreal as it is so far temporally and physically from European intellect.
Born in New Haven, Connecticut May 13, 1831. -New Haven Connecticut is a literary and architectural center. Mix had a literary, printing press and naval family background.
Worked as a draftsperson for Sidney Mason Stone 1848
Married Mary
B. Hayes on 7 May 1854,
Moved to
Chicago in 1855 – worked with William W. Boyington briefly
Arrived in Milwaukee in 1856
Solo practice
began in 1857
Mix learned architecture through books:
“he used his books extensively in his practice” (Wood, 1999)
+Robert W. Billings, Illustrations of the Architectural Antiquities of the County of Durham (1846)
+Cesar Daly’s L’architecture prive au XIXme siecle sous Napoleon III
+Cesar Daly’s Motifs historiques d’architecture et de sculpture d’ornement V 1& 2
Mix’s style of architecture revolved around the clients needs. It was a Mix of styles catering to the customers aesthetic wishes. An architect that understood service to the client as the focus.
Styles included: Italianate, Queen Anne, Gothic Revival, Second Empire, and Richardsonian Romanesque.
Technological progress was also part of Mix’s influence on a building. At Villa Louis, indoor plumbing was installed and some electrical service.
Builder of Villa Louis was Bentley & Sons – from Milwaukee
Mix bridged the world of architects as journeyman to architects as white collar professional men separated from the trades who built the buildings.
Incorporation of Milwaukee as a city
Connection to the fur trade.
Yankee architect for Yankee Clients (the Dousman’s)
References:
Mary N. Woods. From Craft to Profession (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999)
John R.
Burrows. “The Work of E. Townsend Mix from 1856-1890: A Study of
Carlen (M.A. Thesis, University of Virginia, 1980). A second extensive paper, unpublished, challenging some of the ideas put forth in Burrows thesis exists.
Hatala, “Edward Townsend Mix and Alexander Mitchell Four Commissions.” (March 1982).
UPDATE: The building was demolished by the Village of Potosi Board in January 2019 despite 230 signatures in a petition: https://www.change.org/p/potosi-wi-oldest-historic-building-stop-threatened-demolition-razing-of-107-n-main-st
Left image taken by author.
Sepia toned image has an unknown source: Photographer is unknown. Contact https://potosiwisconsin.com/passage-thru-time-museum/ for more information.
In 1833, a Wisconsin/Iowa territory Plat map showed a “new dig”, for mining, in Section 34, Range 3 West, Township 3, Fourth Meridian. (Williams, 1833)
This is the location of the port of Potosi, on the Mississippi River, and was the center of mining and retail activity in 1837. Snake Hollow, Potosi was the business district that housed and serviced the permanent and transient residents. Snake Hollow was “booming” in the 1830-40’s (Holford,1900) as a bustling urban center with services where many travelled. People from Galena, Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, New York, Dubuque, etc..came for mining, trading, professional services and general supplies. On February 19, 1841, the Village of Potosi (Snake Hollow) was incorporated. (Holford,1900)
The 1842 Iowa County Census shows the Langworthy’s and the Whites as well as new people including William Henderson (1914 – unknown date of death) and George Bell in Potosi.
On October 29, 1842, George Bell, carpenter, and William Henderson, stonemason, created a legal contract for building the Henderson building. The contract was drawn up by Orasmus Cole and William Biddlecom. The contract document defined specifics for a building Bell and Henderson were planning to build in partnership. The court document recorded such as the basement being 32’-0” wide in front , 29’-0” in depth, 35’-0” wide in rear, 18” thick walls that are 7’-0” high. The first, second and third floor walls were to be 8” thick brick. (Court Docket, 1842) These specifications were describing the Henderson Building at 107 N Main Street, Potosi, Wisconsin.
When the building was completed, in the summer of 1843, “the building was celebrated”. (Holford, 1900) The Henderson building brought the celebration of American Independence to the town of Potosi. A majority of the people from the town had immigrated to America and were connected to fighting for American Independence. Bunting and flags, to name a few items, were proudly displayed on July 4.
Pre-Wisconsin statehood (May 29, 1848), the three-story, Federal style, Henderson Building is the oldest example of an urban multi use building in Grant county. The uses included residential housing, a blacksmith shop, general store, professional service offices of law, dental, photography, hotel, and a newspaper.
The Henderson Block sits on a plinth which consists of a, two story, limestone Blacksmith shop and a, three story, (Henderson building) First, the two story stone blacksmith shop was built by James White in approximately 1841. (Holford, 1900) James came, with his wife Mary, to the region as a miner and later flourished as a blacksmith. (Holford, 1900) The two story limestone building has been partially demolished as the south wall for the stone building is a party wall to the three story brick Henderson building. The blacksmith shop and the Henderson building share a party wall.
The Henderson building has three separate entrances. Two Retail entrances on the north and south, of the facade, entering into the first floor shops. The third entrance, a center door, between the two retail entries, brings professionals and residences up the stairs to the second and third floors. The façade is topped with a bracketed, metal and wood, corbelled fascia and a central pediment rising in the middle.
The Henderson building’s facade has six double-hung wood windows inset in masonry brick openings with a stone sill and lintel.
The roof of the building is a flat roof with parapets on three sides.
The land tracts recording citizens settling in Potosi had not been recorded until 1845. Nelson Dewey was the Grant County recorder of deeds and owned land next to the Henderson building.
William Henderson, is shown to have owned lots 234 and 236 (The Henderson Building) James White owned lot 238 (The Blacksmith Shop). Today these three lot numbers are combined as one parcel when sold. In June 1842, a map of Grant county, Wisconsin territory, visually recorded Potosi, Snake Hollow. (Wiltse, 1842) Three years later a map visually defined the lots of land in Potosi, Snake Hollow. (Wiltse, 1845)
In 1843, the law offices of Cole and Biddlecom opened in the Henderson building. Orasmus Cole (1819-1903) was William Henderson’s lawyer. Cole is known for his anti-slavery stance, being Nelson Dewey’s opponent for Chief Justice in 1853 (State Bar Association of Wisconsin, 1885) , and having one of the longest terms as a Wisconsin state supreme court justice (1855-1892).
Orasmus Cole lived in the Henderson Building with his family from 1849 through 1855. He worked in the Henderson building from 1843-1848. He, and his family, may have also lived in the building pre-1848.
William Biddlecom (1820-1860) became district Attorney of Grant County in 1851. He was a well respected citizens of Potosi.
In 1843-44 the first general merchandiser of the building was Bricknell, Haines and Hollub. William Henderson worked and resided in the Henderson building.
The newspaper, Potosi Republican, was on the third floor of the Henderson Building. (Potosi Republican Advertisement) It was a weekly, democratic, newspaper. It was first edited by J. M. Denton, followed by James W. Seaton and finally Edwin Paul. The demise of the newspaper came because of the exodus of miners to California approximately 1854-55.
James W. Seaton (1824-1904) was “one of the most prominent men that ever reside in Potosi”. (Wilmot, 1920’s). He studied law in Rome, New York and Chicago. He began working for Cole and Biddlecom in 1847. He also became the superintendent of the Potosi Public Schools and held many local Village offices.
In 1847, George Bell and wife had a case against William Henderson. Orasmus Cole represented Henderson and William Latamer represented Bell. During the case proceedings William Latamer provoked a duel against Colonel White. The duel took place in front of the Henderson Building and Latamer died from losing the duel.
To satisfy the plaintiff, in February 1848, Henderson, through a sherriff sale, sold parts to Cole and Biddlecom and Solon Langworthy. William Henderson still owned shares in the building as he William Henderson sold a property share to James W Henderson in Potsdam, St Lawrence, New York for $ 2000, on january 20, 1849.
In 1850, William Henderson reside in the Henderson building with a personal property value of $6000.00. (1850 US Census)
In 1854, James White August 25, 1855) and his wife, Mary White opened a, Public House, White’s House in the building. The advertisement in the newspaper read:
Public House
James White has opened his house, located on North St. Potosi, for the accomodation of the travelling community, and for the reception of transient and permanent boarders. He will endeavor to keep a good stable, as the times will permit at reasonable charges. Horses provided for a good stable, and by attentive Ostlers. (1854)
James was from Vermont and Mary was from Massachusetts, the idea of a Public House was typical and colonial from where they came from.
James died in 1855. The left Mary White as the women in the frontier as a business owner. She never remarried. Her and her daughter – Ellora White built the hotel to be one of the “most popular hotels this part of the state” (Wilmot, 1920’s) Many significant contributors to American history including:
Supreme Court Justice Charle Dunn (1799 – 1872) a United States judge and politician that helped to draft the Wisconsin State Constitution in 1848. His daugther married the first Governor of Wisconsin, Nelson Dewey.
Governer Nelson Dewey (1813-1889) a United States politician who held many significant roles in forming the state of Wisconsin within the USA. He was the first governor of Wisconsin (1848-1850).
Governer Alexander Randall (1819-1872) a United States politician who was the Governor, from 1857-1861) during the beginning and part of the Civil War.
General George Wallace Jones (1804 – 1896) An American Indepence War soldier, a congressional delegate for the Wisconsin territories, and entreprenuer.
Ulysses S Grant (1822-1885) Commanding general of the Union Army during the Civil War. He became the 18th President of the United States (1869-1877) It has been said he made a speech off of the balcony of the White’s Public House.
Other permanent residents included:
Henry Wright, 31, a photographer who brought the daguerreotype camera to Potosi in 1855. His offices were in the third floor. (Potosi Republican,1855)
School teachers for the Potosi Public Schools like a nineteen year old, William Likins.
For several years, in Grant county, the Henderson Building was the only three story, mixed use, building. Ending this reign, in 1848, a the three story brick building was built and called the T.M. Barber retail building in Lancaster.
In Potosi, the Henderson building is one of two examples of Federal Style, still in existence. The other Federal example, still standing and inhabited, is the William Hunt Building, 106 North Main Street, Potosi Wisconsin, 53820. Both the Hunt and Henderson buildings, were built before Wisconsin statehood. Wisconsin statehood was established on May 29, 1848. The town of Potosi, which includes Snake Hollow, Van Buren and Lafayette was also established in 1848.
Both, Hunt and Henderson, buildings have survived three fires in the Snake Hollow village. The fires in 1900, 1916 and 1918 destroyed many buildings.
After the Henderson building was built no building took place in Potosi because of the economic decline. (Butterfield, 1881)
Other elements to the timeline of 107 N Main St., Potosi, Wisconsin:
In 1868, The White’s House was managed by Ellora White, Mary Whites daughter. (Gray, 1868)
In 1869, Dr. T.L. Graham lived, with his family, and practiced in the Henderson Building. Taylor L. Graham, A. B., 1846; M. D., 1849, Jefferson Med. Coll.; Physician. d. Potosi, Wis., March, 1882.
He began partial ownership of the Henderson Block lots in 1869. Orasmus Cole and William Biddlecom both sold their property shares to Dr Graham. Former Governor Dewey owned a large sum of property, adjacent to the building, at the time.
` In 1920, the owners of the building, R.H. and Josephine Durley, renovated the Henderson building to two stories for $65,000. (County Treasurer) The Henderson building name changed to the Durley Building. The blacksmith shop still remained, at this time. It is unknown when the limestone blacksmith shop was demolished. Today, what is still standing, is the south stone wall of the Blacksmith shop. This stone wall is shared with the Henderson Building north, brick wall, as a structural party wall.
In 1945 the Durley’s sold the parcel to the Maah’s. The Maah’s family started the bar and restaurant called The Blue Spruce. This establishment is known to the present citizens of Potosi today. The building is referred to as the Blue Spruce not the Henderson or Durley Building.
In 1996 the building owners, Clarence G. Reese sold the building to Mark Carl. The building was used and inhabited but came into disrepair with illegal activities. The Village of Potosi condemned the building in 2004 and Mark Carl sold the building to Dennis Sharkey- the current owner.
In 2013, Dennis Sharkey, patched the roof, mended windows and surfaced walls in order to respond to the Village of Potosi’s threats to raze the building if maintenance improvements were not done. (The Village of Potosi is next door to the Henderson.) The improvements were made but the Village still threatens razing.
The building’s past two owners have been negligent and the building is in severe disrepair of the internal structure, about paying property taxes and the village of Potosi is threatening to demolish the building.
Significance:
The Henderson Block to the economic viability of the community in Potosi. It has been retail, hotel, legal, doctor and dental offices for mining industries that flourished in Potosi in the mid to late 19c. It has always maintained a retail and hotel presence.
The Henderson Block represents many ethnicities that travelled and immigrated from afar. The euro american influx to Potosi worked and lived at the Henderson building.
Many important historical american contributors lived and worked in the Henderson Building. It is associated with many key contributors to American History.
Amongst other nationally registered places including:
Within 50 ft of the Henderson building is St John’s Mine, which placed on the National Register in 1979.
Down main street, approximately a mile, The Potosi Brewery National Register in 1980.
The Badger Huts National Register in 1996.
The Henderson Block was built as a Federal Style building before Wisconsin statehood
References:
Angeli, J. March 2 2006, July 16, 2015 Feb 16, 2007 Grant County Herald Independent –
Bieder, R. E. (1995). Native American Communities in Wisconsin, 1600-1960: A Study of Tradition and Change. University of Wisconsin Press.
Butterfield, C.W. 1881 History Grant County Wisconsin, Western Historical Society
Court Docket (1842) Wisconsin Territory, Grant County . Agreement between William Henderson and George W.H. Bell . 29 Oct. 1842.
Cutler, M. (1787). Map of the federal territory from the western boundary of Pennsylvania to the Scioto River laid down from the latest informations and divided into townships and fractional parts of townships agreeably to the ordinance of the honle. Congress passed in May 1785. Boston: publisher not identified.
Ehlen, S. July 1986 History of Potosi
Gray, W., Pattengill, G. D., & Ferd. Mayer & Co. (1868). New map of Grant County, Wisconsin. New York: Ferd. Mayer & Co.
Grant County Centennial Sept 1936 “Potosi”
Grant County Herald, published Post Office Records April 15 1843
Grant Country Register of Deeds
Holford C.N., 1900 History of Grant County Wisconsin
Potosi Republican Jan 20, 1848, Sherriffs Sale Langworthy gets half of lots and objects are sold at sherriff’s auction in Lancaster February 12, 1848.
Parrish, R. (2008). Historic Illinois: The romance of the earlier days. Whitefish, Mont.: Kessinger Publishing.
Snyder, Van Vechten & Co., David Rumsey Collection., & Cartography Associates. (1878). Map of Grant County, state of Wisconsin. (Historical atlas of Wisconsin, 58-59.)
Sanborn Maps (1894, 1900, 1906)
Shopping News, (2000) Faces and Places of Grant County
Shopping News, (2004) Faces and Places of Southwest Wisconsin
State Bar Association of Wisconsin. (1885). Proceedings of the State Bar Association of Wisconsin. Madison, Wis: The Association.
Telegraph Herald Dubuque October 21, 1973 Potosi Photo Album
Wilmott and Wolfe “With the Potosi Pioneers” not published.
Wiltse, H. A., & Freeman, J. E. (1842). Map of Grant County: Wisconsin Territory, 1842. Wisconsin: Board of County Commissioners.
Wiltse, H. A. (1845). Map of the survey of section thirtyfour: In township no. 3 north and range no. 3 west of the 4th Principal Meridian, Grant County, Wisconsin, into in and out lots … being a part of Potosi. Place of publication not identified: publisher not identified.
WISCONSIN, State of. (1862). Report on the Geological Survey of the State of Wisconsin … James Hall on General Geology and Palæontology, and J.D. Whitney on the Upper Mississippi Lead region. Vol. 1. New York.
Young, J. H. (1832). Western states & territories. Philadelphia: Malte-Brun.
On October 29, 1842, George Bell, carpenter, and William Henderson, stonemason, created a legal contract for building the Henderson building. The contract documented specifics for a building Bell and Henderson were planning to build in partnership. The basement was to be 32’-0” wide in front , 29’-0” in depth, 35’-0” wide in rear, 18” thick walls that are 7’-0” high. The first, second and third floor walls were to be 8” thick brick. (Court Docket, 1842)
When the building was completed, in the summer of 1843, “the building was celebrated”. (Holford, 1900) The Henderson building brought the celebration of American Independence to the town of Potosi. A majority of the people from the town had immigrated to America and were connected to fighting for American Independence. Bunting and flags, to name a few items, were proudly displayed on July 4.
Pre-Wisconsin statehood (May 29, 1848), the three-story, Federal style, Henderson Building was the oldest example of an urban multi-use building in Grant county. The uses included residential housing, a blacksmith shop, general store, professional service offices of law, dental, photography, hotel, and a newspaper.
The Henderson Block sits on a limestone plinth. The plinth held a, two buildings, a blacksmith shop, built of limestone, in 1841, and the three story brick Henderson building. The blacksmith shop and the commercial Henderson building shared a limestone structural wall.
The commercial Henderson building had three separate entrances. Two Retail entrances on the north and south, of the facade, entering into the first floor shops. The third entrance, a center door, between the two retail entries, brought professionals and residences up the stairs to the second and third floors. The façade was topped with a bracketed, metal and wood, corbelled fascia and a central pediment rising in the middle.
The Henderson building’s facade had six double-hung wood windows inset in masonry brick openings with a stone sill and lintel.
The roof of the building was a flat roof with parapets on three sides.
In 1843, the law offices of Cole and Biddlecom opened in the Henderson building. Orasmus Cole lived in the Henderson Building with his family from 1849 through 1855.
The newspaper, Potosi Republican, started on the third floor of the Henderson Building. (Potosi Republican Advertisement) It was a weekly, democratic, newspaper. It was first edited by J. M. Denton, followed by James W. Seaton and finally Edwin Paul. The demise of the newspaper came because of the exodus of miners to California approximately 1854-55.
In 1847, George Bell and wife had a case against William Henderson. Orasmus Cole represented Henderson and William Latamer represented Bell. During the case proceedings William Latamer provoked a duel against Colonel White. The duel took place in front of the Henderson Building and Latamer died from losing the duel.
For several years, in Grant county, the Henderson Building was the only three story, mixed use, building.
In Potosi, the Henderson building was one of two examples of Federal Style. The town of Potosi, which includes Snake Hollow, Van Buren and Lafayette was also established in 1848.
In 1945 the Durley’s sold the parcel to the Maah’s. The Maah’s family started the bar and restaurant called The Blue Spruce. This establishment is known to the present citizens of Potosi today.
The Henderson buildings survived three fires in the Snake Hollow, Potosi. The fires in 1900, 1916 and 1918 destroyed many buildings. Sadly, it did not survive the demolition of the Village of Potosi board members in January, 2019.
At the Potosi Brewery, Wisconsin, there is a parking lot directly south of the old brewery building. The back of the parking lot has a, roughly, eleven foot high by seventy foot long limestone block wall. This wall is a retaining wall for the steep bluff sloping up behind it. The wall also contains a door, a recess and an opening. The wall was definitely meant as a part of something larger than what is shows itself today.
Left over ” Rock Wall” just south of the Potosi Brewery. Photo: By Author.
Potosi was first settled by lead miners that lived, at first, in dirt mounds. They used the slope of the hill and dugout into them. This is seen at the nationally historic registered Badger Huts a mile north of the brewery. The miners, as well as, the auxiliary businesses needed living quarters. Possibly people lived behind the door of the wall until their home was built.
The wall was part of a larger building known locally as the Rock House. The wall was the back foundation and first floor support for the two and a half story stone building with an attached one story stone shed.
The land on which the rock house was built upon was first documented to be owned by Samuel E. Lewis, an Austrian immigrant. Then, around 1840, the two lots on which the house sat was owned and lived in by Joseph and Mary Jarratt, and his family. Both of them English immigrants. Joseph was a butcher and later became a farmer. The Jarrat’s owned the house and lots until about 1855.
Gabriel Hail and Joseph Albrecht, both German immigrants, built the two story Hail Albrecht brewery in 1855. The Jarrat’s must have rented the house to the Hails until Gabriel Hail bought the house and other pieces of land. An 1868 map shows Gabriel “Hale” lived in the house his wife Elizabeth and their family.
The Rock House did have some alterations through the years but it no longer survives except for its back structural wall in the Potosi brewery parking lot.
