Lowell Damon House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lowell Damon House
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 Location in Wisconsin
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2107 Wauwatosa Ave. Wauwatosa, Wisconsin |
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| Built | 1844, 1846 |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000061 |
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1972 |
The Lowell Damon House is a special historic home located at 2107 Wauwatosa Avenue in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. It was built a long time ago, between 1844 and 1846. This house has a design that was quite unusual for homes in Wisconsin back then. Because of its history and unique style, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1972. This means it's recognized as an important historical site. For many years, it was a museum, but it is now a private home.
Contents
Building a Historic Home
The First Steps in 1844
The story of the Lowell Damon House begins with a man named Oliver Damon. He was a skilled carpenter and a wheelwright, someone who made and repaired wheels. Oliver came to Wauwatosa in 1844 from a place called Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire.
When he arrived, Oliver started building the house. He first built the simpler, back part of the house, which is shaped like an "L" (often called an "ell wing"). He used wood from the nearby forests. Some of the younger trees were simply squared on one side. They were used as rafters and joists, which are parts of the roof and floor structure.
Hand-Crafted Details
Other pieces of wood were carefully shaped with a tool called an adze. You can still see the marks from this tool on many of the wooden beams inside the old house. Much of this wood was strong oak and black walnut. This early part of the house makes it the oldest surviving home in Wauwatosa.
Adding Style in 1846
Oliver Damon was not alone. His son-in-law, Jonathon Warren, and other family members were with him. By 1846, Oliver, or perhaps his son Lowell, added the more stylish front part of the house. This section is one and a half stories tall.
The front of the house is wide but only one room deep. This design was not common in Wisconsin. It might have been a style the Damon family knew from New England, where they came from.
Architectural Style of the House
Colonial and Greek Revival Features
The shape of the Lowell Damon House has elements of the Colonial style. This can be seen in its broad front and the main entrance. The front door is symmetrical, meaning it looks the same on both sides. It also has sidelights, which are tall windows on either side of the door.
The house also shows features of the Greek Revival style. This style was popular for grand buildings. You can see it in the pilasters on the front corners. Pilasters are like flat columns built into the wall. There are also cornice returns, which are parts of the roof's edge that turn inward. The frieze boards, which are decorative bands below the roof, also show this style. An interesting detail is the diamond-shaped windows in the frieze on the side walls. These are quite rare.
Saving a Piece of History
From Disrepair to Restoration
By 1935, this beautiful house had fallen into disrepair. It needed a lot of work and paint. A surveyor at the time noted that it looked "tumble-down" and "hardly habitable." It seemed like the house was almost ready to be torn down.
However, the house was saved! The sons of Alexander Rogers, a later owner, gave the house to the Milwaukee County Historical Society. This society worked hard to restore the house to its original beauty. For many years, they operated it as a museum. Visitors could come and learn about its history and see what life was like long ago.
A New Chapter for the House
In 2020, the Milwaukee County Historical Society decided to sell the property. The costs of keeping up such an old house were very high. The Lowell Damon House was then sold to private owners. This means it is no longer a museum that is open to the public. Instead, it is now a private residence once again.
