| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation-Public History.
August 2019: Appearance unchanged.
Additional Information 3-2024:
Architecture:
The Altemus House sits on a very large lot on the northwest corner of Highway 51 and Tower Drive in the Town of Dunkirk, a few miles east of Stoughton, Wisconsin. The house was once part of a farmstead with agricultural outbuildings, but now only a late 20th century metal pole building is on the site. The house has details that suggest the Italianate style that was popular at the time of its construction and was significantly renovated between 1991 and 1993.
The house has two stories and is of brick construction, built reportedly around 1873. Historic photos show that the main elevation faces Tower Road and this elevation is part of a side gabled main block. A long gable-roofed ell projects from the west elevation of this block and from Highway 51, the house appears as a Gabled Ell form house. Attached to the north wall of this ell is a smaller rear ell and an old garage addition that has been remodeled.
Punctuating the brick walls of the house on all elevations are generally symmetrical openings decorated with segmental brick arches. The openings are filled with mostly original two-over-four light sashes. In 2005, vinyl storm windows were installed over the original windows. It appears that many of the original shutters of the house were rehabbed and reused.
There are several entrances into the house, one in the east elevation of the main block, one in the south elevation of the west ell, two at the intersection of the west ell with the rear ell, one in the northwest corner of the west elevation of the rear ell, and another in the east elevation of the garage addition. Only the wood paneled door in the main block is original.
Originally, the house had three porches; on the main block, along the west ell, and in back of the west ell. Historic photographs show that they were typical of the Italianate era with narrow square posts on short paneled piers decorated with delicate scroll brackets. No balustrades are evident. In the 1991-93 renovation, the deteriorated porches were replaced with new porches consisting of stock “Victorian” elements including turned posts, spool and spindle friezes, sunburst brackets, balustrades of turned posts and a gazebo addition. The rear ell porch and the west ell porch have shed roofs that were probably similar to the original roofs, while the porch on the main block has a mansard type roof (the original was a low-pitched hip roof).
The first floor interior of the main block is partially divided into two parlors. The parlors have walls covered with wallpaper, carpeted floors, picture rails, wood panels under windows, very wide wooden baseboards, and architrave moldings. In the west ell is a dining room that has similar features to the parlors. Along the east wall of the dining room is the main staircase. It was widened in the 1991-92 remodeling effort and curved post balustrades were added. The rest of the ell has a short hallway leading to a bathroom with late 20th century wood flooring and modern fixtures. Off of this hallway is an enclosed staircase.
The interior of the rear ell has a kitchen and mud room. The remodeled kitchen has late 20th century cabinets, countertops, and fixtures. The wood floor in the bathroom extends into the kitchen and the mud room. In the mud room there is a brick structure that is reported to be a 19th century bake oven.
The main staircase leads up to the second floor of the main block. This area has a short hallway off of which are two bedrooms and a bathroom. The two bedrooms have original four paneled wood doors with porcelain doorknobs. The walls are covered with wallpaper and the wood trim is simple with wide baseboards. This area is carpeted except for the bathroom, which has vinyl flooring, modern fixtures, and modern wainscot paneling.
The second floor of the west ell includes a large bedroom, a bathroom, a small bedroom, and a back hall with an enclosed rear staircase. These areas feature wallpaper, carpeting, four-panel wood doors with porcelain knobs, simple wood trim, wide baseboards, and vinyl flooring and modern fixtures in the bathrooms.
History:
Nicholas and Sally Ann Altemus came to the Stoughton, Wisconsin area from Pennyslvania in the 1850s where Nicholas began operating a farm. The farm is shown in the Town of Dunkirk on the 1861 Dane County plat map. Because the Altemus family owned this property on a prominent corner east of Stoughton for decades, it became known as “Altemus Corners.”
By the 1960s, the Altemus family stopped farming and the house was only being used sporadically; it was subject to vandalism and deterioration. In 1991, owner of the farmhouse and Nicholas’ granddaughter, Elaine Altemus Possin, decided to allow two local carpenters to begin restoration of the house. Many historic features were saved, such as windows, doors, and much of the interior wood trim. After the renovation, Elaine Altemus Possin opened a bed and breakfast business and it continues to be operated as such by her long-time manager, Marge Stokstad, who acquired the property after Possin’s death in 2017.
(Carol Cartwright, 3-2024)
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