Herman C. Timm House
Encyclopedia
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in New Holstein, Wisconsin
New Holstein, Wisconsin
New Holstein is a city in Calumet County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 3,301 at the 2000 census. The city is located within the Town of New Holstein.-History:...
. The house is a significant example of Queen Anne Style architecture
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
called stick style
Queen Anne Style architecture (United States)
In America, the Queen Anne style of architecture, furniture and decorative arts was popular in the United States from 1880 to 1910. In American usage "Queen Anne" is loosely used of a wide range of picturesque buildings with "free Renaissance" details rather than of a specific formulaic style in...
architecture. The house was the home of an original settler and prominent citizen, Herman C. Timm.
Herman C. Timm’s history
Timm came to New Holstein in 1848 from Marne, GermanyMarne, Germany
Marne is a town in the district of Dithmarschen, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated near the North Sea coast, approx. 30 km south of Heide, and 25 km northeast of Cuxhaven....
at age 14. He made his money operating a feed mill called Calumet Feeds at the north end of the block the house is on. He started a bank, and was the first president of the village.
History
The home was built in 1873 in a Greek revival style by KielKiel, Wisconsin
Kiel is a city in Calumet and Manitowoc Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 3,450 at the 2000 census. The city is located mostly within Manitowoc County, though a portion extends west into adjacent Calumet County....
contractor August F. Neumann. The original home became the rear of the home during an addition in 1891. The addition was done in what was later called "stick style" architecture. The stick style was a 1860-1890 trend where carpentry and woodworking technology allowed for lots of trim detail. Timm’s unmarried children took over the home after his death. They turned the upstairs into a rental unit, and in 1954 upstairs and downstairs were both rented out. The home was donated by H. C. Timm II to the New Holstein Historic Society in 1974.
Local volunteers worked on restoring the house. The house's Grand Opening occurred on May 31, 1976 as part of the United States Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
celebration.The New Holstein Historical Museum featured an "Early Photos of New Holstein" exhibit as part of the celebration. The home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. The society operated the home as a house museum.
Disasters
The house had a major roof leak that forced an end to the house tours in 1998. An architectural assessment was performed on the house, and the cost to reconstruct the house was estimated between $116,020 and $126,220. Before the roof was repaired, there was a broken pipe in the dining room. The break happened in January 1999. It dumped 500,000 gallons of water through the first floor and into the basement. The rising basement waters extinguished the furnace, causing the water in the pipes and the radiators to freeze, then burst. City water meters knew there was a problem somewhere in the city, but no one could find the source of the leak. A volunteer at the house discovered the leak. The volunteer arranged for a heating repairman to stop the flooding. When the repairman left, he slammed the door closed. The door frame was so swollen that the volunteer was stuck inside. She had to go upstairs and call for help through a front window.Restoration and rededication
Only two interior photographs from 1896 exist. The New Holstein Historical Society raised $1.2 million dollars (U.S.D.) for restoration of the Timm House. The Jeffris Foundation of Janesville, Wisconsin gave the Society a $562,875 grant towards the restoration.Crown Services from nearby Kiel, Wisconsin
Kiel, Wisconsin
Kiel is a city in Calumet and Manitowoc Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 3,450 at the 2000 census. The city is located mostly within Manitowoc County, though a portion extends west into adjacent Calumet County....
painted the house. It had to start painting in 2007 because winter temperatures came early in 2006. It finished the job by the July 2007 opening. The company nominated the paint job for a national paint award by Zinsser Company, and it was awarded $10,000 and its "Top Job" winner for 2007. The painters had to deal with lead paint
Lead paint
Lead paint or lead-based paint is paint containing lead, a heavy metal, that is used as pigment, with lead chromate and lead carbonate being the most common. Lead is also added to paint to speed drying, increase durability, retain a fresh appearance, and resist moisture that causes corrosion...
, so worker had to have a lead abatement area to lessen lead poisoning
Lead poisoning
Lead poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the heavy metal lead in the body. Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including the heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems...
. A minimal amount of damaged siding an trim was replaced to maintain the historic nature of the house. When paint was sprayed, it had to be back brushed to keep the hand-painted look. Two coats of latex paint
Acrylic paint
Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry...
were applied. The Timm house paint job was featured on the cover of American Painting Contractors March 2008 issue.
The reconstruction of the house was completed during the summer of 2007, in time for the city's Market Street Days festival. The house was rededicated on July 15, 2007. Congressman Tom Petri
Tom Petri
Thomas Evert Petri is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1979. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes most of the east-central part of the state.-Early life, education, and early career:...
and state Senator Joe Leibham
Joe Leibham
Joseph K. "Joe" Leibham is a Republican member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 9th District since 2002. He previously served in the Wisconsin Assembly, representing the 26th district from 1998 through 2002....
spoke at the rededication. The registered historic place plaque was displayed. An information sign was unveiled that is easily visible as motorists turn a corner on Highway 57 / 32. People were able to take tours of the house for the first time in nearly ten years, and the first group to tour included Petri.
External links
- Official New Holstein Historical Society website, ">http://www.geocities.com/nhhistorical/Timm_House.htm}}
- Kahn, Eve M. "Stick Style Ingenuity: A can-do historical society in rural Wisconsin cures a house museum of flood damage." Period Homes, November 2007.