| 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, State Historic Preservation Office.
Builder was L.S. Jones. PAIRED BRACKETS UNDER EAVES. CARVED STONE LINTELS. 2 STORY BAY ON FRONT. BARGE BOARDS IN GABLE. ELABORATE HEAVY PORCH SUPPORTS. Map code originally CT #/#; the CT presumably meant city and was stripped off.
South Side Historic District Walking Tour Guide: "Built by Thomas Jones, lumber dealer, and his wife, Jane. In 1887 this became the home of Ernst and Martha Hueffner. He was a dealer in leather with a store downtown and was also one of the founders and later the president of the Manufactures National Bank. He served as Racine alderman for number of terms and as mayor in 1879. He lived here until he died in 1922, and the house remained in the family until the late 1930s."
"The elegant house that proudly stands at 1526 College Avenue was built by Thomas Jones in 1878. Thomas Jones was a lumber dealer with Jones, Knapp & Co.
The exterior of the house is Milwaukee brick with a stone foundation and wood trim. As described in the Southside Historic District Walking Tour Guide, "the house is Italianate in style, but asymmetrical in form. However, the vertical solidity of the stacked frame bay at the front is balanced by the horizontal stretch of the frame front porch. Both are finished with Eastlake ornament--probably the finest still to be seen in the city."
In 1888 Thomas Jones sold the house to Ernest J Hueffner and his wife, Martha. Ernest was born in Prussia in 1838. He moved to Racine with his parents in 1848. His father opened a wholesale leather store. At the age of 17 Ernest took charge of the business and ran it nearly up to the time of his death. In 1871 he was one of the incorporators and became a long-time director of the Manufacturers National Bank, located at 440 Main Street. In 1904 Ernest was elected president of the bank and held the position for several years. Mr. Hueffner served as an alderman for the First Ward and was Racine's mayor from 1879-1880.
In 1868 Ernest married Martha Kuehne, a Racine native. Enest and Martha had nine children, six of whom lived to adulthood. Daughter Julia married August Frank. They built their home at 1520 Collage Avenue, next door to the Hueffners' house. Daughter Bertha married A. J. Horlick in her parents' house. Ernest and Martha had four sons: Alfred, Otto, Fred, and Martin. Martha Hueffner died in 1916. Ernest died in 1922. The sons continued to live at 1526 College Avenue until 1939, when the house was sold to Donald Evans.
In 1943 Jerome and Margaret Weichers purchased the house. Jerome was Vice-President of Whitman Publishing Company. The Weichers did a lot of renovation work in the house, including, electrical and plumbing.
In 1962 Kenneth and Ellen Schaffer purchased the house. Schaffer family members continued to live/own the house until it was sold to Roy and Sharon Ramquist in 1998. The Ramquists' moved into the house after it had been vacant for two years. The Ramquist's renovated the entire house, room by room, and brought it back to its original beauty. Sharon Ramquist continues to be the loving caretaker of this historic house."--Marcia Pfost "Preservation Racine News" Summer 2018, Volume 12 |
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