Already a member?
Sign in
Welcome! Wikis are websites that everyone can build together. It's easy!
- EasyEdit
- Edit tags
- Email page
-
(what's this?What are these tools?
People just like you can add or edit the content on this site. If you want to try editing, but aren't ready to add to this site, try our demo area.
Read more about editing pages at Wetpaint Central.
)
The Stone Stable Project
Best Public/Private Partnership
The Stone Stable Reconstruction Project
The reconstruction of the 150-year-old stone stable was accomplished in 2007 as a public-private partnership between the City of Whitewater, the Whitewater Historical Society, the Whitewater Community Foundation, Downtown Whitewater, Inc, local citizen activists, over 190 donors, and numerous volunteers. At the dedication ceremony on November 17, the stable was officially turned over to its new owner, the City of Whitewater, who in turn will formalize an agreement with the Whitewater Historical Society, with plans to use the stable for programs and exhibits.
The building has already become a local landmark and a favorite spot for community events, bringing together such diverse elements as a farmer’s market, horse-and-buggy rides, art shows, music performances, and historic displays. It enhances and beautifies our downtown “civic core,” where the Depot Museum, City Hall, the Fire and Police Building, and the Cravath Lakefront Park are located.
A main goal of the revitalization of downtown has been to preserve its historic features. The stone stable project is both a vivid expression of that goal and an encouragement to other downtown property owners. In addition, the Whitewater Historical Society is sorely constrained for storage and display space in its adjacent Depot Museum; having the Stone Stable will allow it to present some of its many artifacts from Whitewater’s agricultural and manufacturing past, most notably implements from the Esterley Reaper Works and a wagon from the Whitewater Wagon Works.
The stone stable is believed to have been built in the 1840s, although little is known for sure about the original owner. A wagon-maker, Nelson Combs, paid taxes and built houses on adjacent properties in 1845 and 1847. For individual homeowners, owning horses was uncommon at the time, which suggests a business of some sort, perhaps a wagon works.
The stable has stalls for four horses and room to house a wagon. Its dimensions are 28 by 22 feet and 28 feet high at the gables. The original stone, wooden beams, floor boards, mangers and most of the stanchion were intact and have been reused in the reconstruction. Historians have praised the building for its significance in the everyday life of the times, its ability to endure generations of change around it, and especially its unique all-stone construction, including a decorative arch.
When the stable’s owner, First English Lutheran Church, was forced to demolish it to accommodate their expansion plans, several citizens stepped forward with concern about the loss of this small piece of Whitewater’s history. With encouragement from city officials, the Landmarks Commission, and the Whitewater Historical Society, a historical reconstruction expert from Old World Wisconsin, Gary Goyette, was recruited to label key stones and wooden parts for future rebuilding. The building was taken down in April 2003 and all parts put in storage. The cost of rebuilding was estimated at $50,000 to $75,000.
Consider time and numerous public meetings over the intervening years allowed the citizen group to reach a broad consensus on where the stable would best be rebuilt and the purpose it would serve. The fund-raising drive began in earnest at the end of 2006 when the Common Council of Whitewater voted to allow rebuilding on city land near the Whitewater Depot Museum. An 8-member leadership committee was formed that included representatives from the Common Council, City Staff, the Park & Recreation Board, the Plan Commission, the Whitewater Historical Society, and the public. Activities were planned to publicize the project, raise money, solicit support, and involve local businesses and families.
By the spring of 2007, funding was well enough along to commit to construction that season. Excavation began in July and the building was completed in mid-September. The total cost was $79,167.00. Donations were held by the Whitewater Community Foundation, who in turn paid for the construction costs, so that donations would be tax-free. All of the money came from private donations, clubs, individuals, and businesses, with the exception of a $10,000 grant from the City of Whitewater Park Development fund, which is made up of park fees in lieu of parkland dedication that developers must pay when they build new residential units. This grant allowed park fees that were generated by new housing units in Whitewater’s historic downtown triangle to be used to enhance the parkland in the downtown itself, rather than in edge-of-town developments, to be enjoyed by those new residents.
The general contractor, electrician, a local lumber company made significant contributions of labor and materials, and many volunteers completed much of the non-technical work, most notably sorting, cleaning and palletizing an estimated 46 tons of rubble limestone during the hot months of July and August, thus reducing the out-of-pocket costs. After final signage and landscaping is installed this spring, there will be a small fund left over for ongoing maintenance, which will be overseen by the City of Whitewater.
The Stone Stable reconstruction was the product of a unique partnership between public and private entities in Whitewater, groups and individuals who banded together to work through a multi-year planning, fundraising, and construction project. The end result is a beautifully preserved and simply beautiful structure that will enhance the historic downtown and serve a myriad of uses for the community for years to come.
Latest page update: made by downtownwhitewater
, Mar 24 2008, 12:10 AM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by downtownwhitewater
view changes
- complete history)
Edited by downtownwhitewater
view changes
- complete history)
Keyword tags: None
(edit keyword tags)
More Info: links to this page