Trimborn Farm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Trimborn Farm
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Trimborn limestone barn
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| Location | Greendale, Wisconsin |
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| Built | 1846 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000170 |
| Added to NRHP | 1980-07-31 |
Trimborn Farm is an old farm from the Victorian era located in Greendale, Wisconsin, United States. Milwaukee County owns this special place. It covers about 7.5 acres and has nine historic buildings.
The farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important site for history in the country. It's also a State Historic Site and a Milwaukee County Landmark.
Contents
Discovering Trimborn Farm's Past
Early Days and Lime Production
Around 1846, a man named Jeremiah O'Donnell built special ovens called lime kilns at the farm. These kilns were used to heat limestone. Heating limestone turns it into a powder called lime, which was important for building and farming.
In 1851, Werner Trimborn and Jacob Kier bought O'Donnell's lime business. It covered 10 acres of land. Jacob Kier left soon after, but Werner Trimborn and his family kept the business going.
The Trimborns became one of the biggest producers of high-quality lime in Wisconsin. By the 1870s, their business was very successful. They owned over 500 acres of land and had almost 40 workers.
Changes in Building and Ownership
When the 1900s arrived, new building materials became popular. One of these was Portland cement, which was easier to use than lime. Because of this, the Trimborn family's lime business slowly ended.
The large farm property was then divided and sold. Much of it went to the Theodore Vollmer family, who used the land for dairy farming.
Later, in 1919, the Froemming family bought a big piece of land. They built greenhouses there to grow plants. A part of this land was later given to Whitnall Park.
In 1935, the United States government bought the farm and about 3,400 acres of land around it. This was part of a plan to create a new farming community called the Greendale Project. Today, this area is the village of Greendale, Wisconsin.
After the Great Depression, the remaining farmland became private property. It was used for things like crop dusting and even a place for horse riding.
Exploring Trimborn Farm Today
The nine historic buildings and the land that remain are now part of the Milwaukee County Parks System. With help from the Milwaukee County Historical Society, many fun events and activities happen here all year.
Main Buildings to See
- Farmhouse: This house was built in the 1850s. It has a Greek Revival style and is made from "Cream City brick." This special light-colored brick was made right here in Milwaukee.
- Granary: Also built in the 1850s, this building has a unique inside wall design called "brick noggin." This helped keep the building warm and protected from the wind. It was used as a bunkhouse for workers and to store grain.
- Lime Kilns: These four large ovens were built in the 1840s and 1850s. Workers heated limestone from a nearby quarry inside them. This process turned the rock into lime powder.
- Stone Barn: Construction on this barn started in 1858 and happened in three stages. It was built using strong limestone from the quarry. In 1920, two tall concrete silos were added to store animal feed.
- Threshing Barn: Built in 1858, this barn has vertical wooden siding. It was used to store grain after harvesting and to house farm animals.
The Jeremiah Curtin House
Close to Trimborn Farm is the Jeremiah Curtin House. This unique stone house was built in 1846. It was the childhood home of Jeremiah Curtin, who became a famous American linguist and folklorist. The Trimborn family later bought this house.
