Stonefield (Wisconsin) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Stonefield
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Wisconsin
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 12195 County Road VV, Cassville, Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Area | 591 acres (239 ha) |
| Built | 1865 |
| Architectural style | Gothic |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000034 |
| Added to NRHP | May 19, 1970 |
Stonefield is a special place in Cassville, Wisconsin. It was once a huge 2,000-acre (800-hectare) property. This land belonged to Nelson Dewey, who was Wisconsin's very first governor.
Today, Stonefield is split into two main parts. One part is Nelson Dewey State Park. The other is the Stonefield historic site. This site is a big museum run by the Wisconsin Historical Society. It has many cool areas for visitors to explore. You can see an old Wisconsin farmhouse and a village that looks like it did around 1900. There's also a rebuilt version of Nelson Dewey's home. Stonefield is also where you'll find the Wisconsin State Agricultural Museum. This museum has a large collection of old farm machines.
Stonefield is also known as the Nelson Dewey Plantation. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 19, 1970. This means it's an important historical landmark.
Contents
Governor Dewey's Story
Nelson Dewey moved to Cassville from New York in 1836. He quickly became involved in Wisconsin's government. When Wisconsin became a state in 1848, he was chosen as its first governor. He served two terms, which means he was governor twice.
After his time as governor, Dewey came back to Cassville. He wanted to help the village grow. So, he bought land and started businesses. He also began building a large farm estate. He named this estate "Stonefield."
Building the Stonefield Home
The main building on his estate was a three-story brick house. It was built in the Gothic revival style, which means it had a fancy, old-fashioned look. The house was finished in 1868.
Sadly, Dewey didn't get to enjoy his estate for very long. In 1873, a fire destroyed his beautiful house. Soon after, a big economic problem called the Panic of 1873 happened. This caused Dewey to lose almost all his money and property. He had to leave Stonefield and move back to Cassville village. He lived there without much money until he passed away in 1889.
Rebuilding the House
In 1879, a man named General Walter Cass Newberry bought part of the old estate. This 40-acre (16 ha) plot included the spot where Dewey's house once stood. Newberry farmed the land for several years. In the 1890s, he decided to rebuild Dewey's home. He wanted it as a summer house.
The new house followed the same floor plan as Dewey's original home. However, it didn't have all the fancy details of the Gothic revival style. Newberry sold the house in 1896. It had a few different owners after that. Eventually, the state of Wisconsin bought it. This happened when they were creating Nelson Dewey State Park.
Stonefield Historic Site
In 1953, the rebuilt Dewey house was set aside from the state park. It became a museum run by the Wisconsin Historical Society. At first, it was called the "State Farm and Crafts Museum." Later, the inside of the rebuilt Dewey home was decorated to look like Dewey's original house. It now helps visitors learn about Dewey's life. In 1969, the State Agricultural Museum was added to the site.
Stonefield Village
In 1954, the historical society started planning something new. They wanted to build a copy of a farming village. This village would look like one from around 1900 in Wisconsin. They also planned a farmstead from that time. Work on these projects continued into the 1970s. More buildings and items were added over time.
Today, Stonefield village has over thirty buildings. These include a blacksmith shop, a general store, and a schoolhouse. There are also other stores and community buildings. Some of these buildings are real historic structures. They were moved to Stonefield to be part of the village. The rest were built to look like the originals.
Near the village, the Stonefield farmhouse shows visitors what life was like for Wisconsin farm families in the early 1900s. Many buildings in the village and farmstead have people dressed in old-fashioned clothes. These "interpreters" help guide visitors and explain things about the site.
Wisconsin State Agricultural Museum
The State Agricultural Museum became part of Stonefield in 1969. This museum was built to hold a large collection of old farm machines. The historical society gathered these machines while creating the Stonefield village and farmstead.
Inside the museum, you can see exhibits about Wisconsin's farming history. This history goes from the time Native Americans farmed the land to the early 1900s. The museum also tells about big farm equipment makers from Wisconsin. These include the Case Corporation and Allis-Chalmers. You can see many rare and valuable old farm machines here.
