Property Record
7105 NORTHWEST HWY
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Nathaniel & Eunice Van Aernam Farmstead - house |
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| Other Name: | |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 10576 |
| Location (Address): | 7105 NORTHWEST HWY |
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| County: | Waukesha |
| City: | Mukwonago (village) |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | 4 |
| Range: | 19 |
| Direction: | E |
| Section: | 8 |
| Quarter Section: | SW |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: | SW |
| Year Built: | 1858 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 20052013 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Greek Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Clapboard |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | Y |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| 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. PEDIMENT AND CORNER PILASTERS DISTINGUISH THIS FIVE-BAY-WIDE, SYMMETRICALLY DESIGNED TWO-STORY SIDE GABLE GREEK REVIVAL STYLE HOUSE. A MODERN ADDITION HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE REAR OF THIS HOUSE. THIS HOUSE WAS ORIGINALLY ASSOCIATED WITH A NOW LARGELY DEMOLISHED FARMSTEAD THAT WAS ORIGINALLY LOCATED ON BOTH SIDES OF STH 83 AT THIS LOCATION. THE ONLY OTHER SURVIVING REMANTS OF THIS FARMSTEAD ARE TWO SMALLER GABLE ROOF OUTBUILDINGS LOCATED BEHIND THE HOUSE AND A CONCRETE SILO, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE OPPOSITE (WEST) SIDE OF STH 83. HISTORIC MAPS SHOW THAT THIS FARM WAS OWNED BY NATHAN VAN AERNAM FROM AT LEAST 1858 TO AT LEAST 1887 AND THE HOUSE PROBABLY DATES FROM THE EARLY YEARS OF THIS PERIOD. As of the 2013 survey, the exterior of the house has been covered with vinyl siding and the front portico with metal roofing. 2012- "The Nathan Van Aernan House is a Greek Revival-style house constmcted circa 1858. The original mass of the house is rectangular in plan with a metal clad, low pitch side gable roof and vinyl-sided exterior walls. Set evenly at either end, two small red brick chimneys rise from the roof ridge. A wide band of trim is continuous around the house, located just below the eave and forming triangular pediments in the gable ends. The front elevation faces southwest and is comprised of five bays, symmetrical in plan. The central bay is flanked on either side with two evenly spaced rectangular window openings at the first and second levels. The central bay is comprised of a single rectangular window at the second story, and at the first level, a hip roof portico, suppotted by unfluted, Doric columns, shades the central front entrance. The entrance is comprised of a plain lintel enframement and side lights, divided by four horizontal muntins. At the gable end, two small rectangular windows are set evenly at either end of the gable just above the cornice. Two rectangular windows are set evenly in the second story, immediately below the wide band of trim. Another hip roof portico extends from the center of the southeast gable end, supported by unfluted, Doric columns. Underneath the portico, a the entrance is flanked on either side by evenly spaced rectangular window openings that are parallel to those in the second story. An addition has been added to the rear of the house." - "STH 83, Mukwanago and Waterford 7.5 Quads", WisDOT ID #1300-09-71, Prepared by GLARC, Inc (Megan Daniels) (2012). 2005- "This previously surveyed Greek Revival style house has a T-plan and the main block is two-stories-tall, has a side gable form, a stone foundation, walls that are clad in clapboards and ornamented with corner pilasters, and the block is sheltered by a gable roof. The main facade of the house faces west onto STH 83 and it is symmetrical in design and five-bays-wide, and the main entrance is placed in the first story's center bay and it is flanked by sidelights and is sheltered by a small hip-roofed open entrance porch that may or may not be original to the house. Windows are six-over-one-light double hung throughout and they appear to have been in place since the 1975 survey (at least) but are probably not the house's original ones. The side elevations of the main block are crowned by full pedimented gable ends and south-facing side elevation has a second entrance door in the center of its first story that may or may not be original to the house and it too is sheltered by a small hip-roofed open entrance porch that also may or may not be original to the house. In addition to the main block, a one-story-tall gable-roofed ell is attached to the rear of the house and it may be original to the house but appears to have been altered in recent years. This farmhouse was once associated with a now mostly non-extant farmstead that is believed to have had outbuildings located on both sides of STH 83. The only surviving outbuildings are two gable-roofed, board-clad buildings that are located behind the farmhouse and the only surviving portion of the farmstead that was once located on the west side of STH 83 is a concrete silo. Historic maps of Racine County show that this farmstead was owned by Nathaniel Van Aernam from at least 1858 until his death in 1873 and it is likely that the farmhouse was constructed for Van Aernam in the early part of this period or even before. Subsequently, the farm was owned and operated by his son, Jacob Van Aernam, until at least 1887. Whether or not this farmhouse has potential for being listed individually in the NRHP for its architectural significance depends largely on its degree of integrity. It needs to be noted, however, that Racine County has one of the highest concentrations of surviving Greek Revival style farmhouses in the state. Consequently, the standards that need to be met in order to list such a house in the NRHP in Racine County are very high, so listing this particular house may be problematic, especially if its integrity turns out to have been compromised." - "Mukwanago and Waterford 7.5 Quads", WisDOT ID #1300-09-00, Prepared by Timothy F Heggland (MAP) (2005). |
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| Bibliographic References: | REDDING & WATSON'S MAP OF RACINE COUNTY. RACINE: REDDING & WATSON, 1858. MAP OF RACINE & KENOSHA COUNTIES. MILWAUKEE: J. KNAUBER & CO., 1873. ILLUSTRATED ATLAS OF RACINE AND KENOSHA COUNTIES. CHICAGO; H. O. BROWN & CO., 1887. “Architecture and History Survey: STH 83” WHS project number 14-0296/VA. November 2012. Prepared by Megan Daniels for GLARC Inc. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |