Between the 1830s and the 1850s, Irish, English, Norwegian, and German settlers came to Muskego township, where they quickly took up farming. German-born Carl Schauwitzer arrived in the 1850s. He raised crops of rye, oats, wheat, potatoes, corn, and hay on his 80 acre farm. The Schauwitzer family remained on the property until about 1950.

The Schauwitzer House was built circa 1859 and expanded through the 1870s, reflecting the family’s and the farm’s increased prosperity. Although the clapboard-sheathed farmhouse is of a common gabled ell form, the sawn porch trim and window elaborations combine to present a modest Italianate influence not found elsewhere in the vicinity.

Also on the parcel are a small animal barn, a milk house and the foundation remains of both the main barn and two silos. They collectively date to between the 1870s and the early 1940s. Today, the Schauwitzer home is one of only a small number of farmhouses that remain as a testament to the agricultural heritage of the area.

The house is a private residence. Please respect the privacy of the owners.