Property Record
127 SPRING ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | James E. and Carrie J. Montague House |
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| Reference Number: | 48998 |
| Location (Address): | 127 SPRING ST |
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| County: | Green Lake |
| City: | Berlin |
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| Year Built: | 1867 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1991 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Greek Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Asbestos |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | In April 1866, James E. and Carrie J. Montague purchased this property, from George and Mary Clayton for $400.00.(1) The Montagues were responsible for the expansion of the 1867 house, from the initial small footprint of the present-day formal dining room, which once was nearly the house in its entirety except for a small adjoining room on the north end that was also part of the structure. (2) The 1867 house had a cellar with an entrance located on the north exterior. (3) The front parlor to the south and adjoining rooms to the west, as well as the rear porch were added during the Montague’s ownership. These additions occurred between 1867 and 1884, with the south 1 ½ story and west rooms possibly having been completed before 1875. (4) In 1868, James and Carrie have their first child, Eva Belle; In 1872, Carrie gave birth to their second daughter, Stella May. (5) James was a local telegraph operator and later was employed as the station agent for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad in Berlin. (6) The Montague family lived in this house until 1892, when it was sold for $1400 to Martha S. Spoor.(7) The house at 127 Spring retains some of its period architectural features: Exterior: The upper roofline molding on the south 1 ½ story is believed to be original to the time this portion of the house was added. Underneath the interior beadboard roof of the front screen porch, the massive, decorative wood soffit remains intact. Wood lap siding preserved beneath the slate siding is exposed & visible inside the rear porch. The original exterior rear porch columns are present in the walls of the rear porch. Hidden from street view by the front screen porch, a recessed, paneled entryway has large vertical columns with pilasters concealed beneath the panels. The innermost front door with its rim lock is believed to be original, though the glass and hinges have been replaced. Exterior pilasters visible on the southeast and northeast corners of the house are characteristic of the Greek Revival style. Interior: the decorative wood molding around the inside of the south front parlor and a corner adjoining southwest room is old growth heart pine, original to the post-1867 addition. With its unique 2” plank width, the rock maple hardwood floor in the present-day formal dining room is believed to be original to the Montague’s ownership. The 10' high ceilings on the main level, post-1867 additions are a distinct feature of the interior. |
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| Bibliographic References: | (1) Green Lake County Register of Deeds land sale records. (2,3,4) The 1867 Birds Eye View of the City of Berlin depicts a simple rectangular structure, which also corresponds to the present-day fieldstone materials of the basement beneath this area, suggesting this was the original footprint. The cellar door opening in the fieldstone wall on the north has been sealed with modern cement block. The 1875 Phoenix Map Co map of Berlin shows a structural outline for the property which appears to include the 1 1/2 story addition to the south. The 1884 Sanborn Map definitively shows the 1 ½ story to the south, a single story addition to the northwest corner of the house, and an exterior back porch. The 1884 Sanborn Map details the present-day footprint of the house. (5) United States Census Records, 1880, for Berlin, Wisconsin. (6) The 1869 Directory of Berlin, by Fox, Edgar B.; Dudley, W. T., History and directory of Green Lake and Waushara Counties, p. 48, indicates that James is a telegraph operator. The Berlin city directory, 1892. by Kraege and Boorman, shows that James is a station agent in Berlin for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. (7) Green Lake County Register of Deeds land sale records. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |