| Additional Information: | Elm Road to Racine Transmission Line Project - Stantec, Inc.
This approximately three-acre parcel includes a circa 1880 house, a circa 1900 barn, a pair of circa 1900 brick silos, a circa 1900 brick garage, a wooden shed ruin , and a circa 1990 metal pole barn. In general, this site is overgrown with vegetation and the buildings present are not particularly visible from the public right-of-way. Within the WHPD, the brick garage is described under AHI 10599 while the farmhouse is described under AHI 133020. Please refer to Field Site 7 (AHI 10599) for a description of the brick garage.
The two-story-tall Upright and Wing style house has an ell-plan layout, with the largest portion having gable ends at the northeast and southwest ends and a slightly shorter wing extending from this towards the southeast. The house has an asphalt shingle roof and an exterior brick chimney on the northwestern elevation. An enclosed porch is present on the façade of the wing. The exterior is clad with vinyl siding. Vinyl or wooden 6/6 and 1/1 windows appear to be present along the façade; however, the fenestration on the southeast side of the main block has been extensively altered with the addition of sliding glass patio doors, large aluminum bay windows in the first and second stories, and a bank of ribbon windows with curved tops at the attic level. The foundation was not visible for inspection.
To the south of the house is a circa 1900, English barn. The barn has an asphalt shingle roof and an exterior, concrete block chimney on the northeastern gabled end. The exterior is clad primarily with board and batten with several window openings enclosed and/or resized with plexiglass panels. Sliding barn doors are located along the southeastern elevation. A collapsing one-story wing or addition extends from the southwestern gable elevation of the barn.
The circa 1900 brick garage (Field Site 7, AHI 10599) is located east of this barn, southeast of the house.
A pair of brick silos are located to the southwest of the barn. Both silos are missing their tops. The northeastern silo is constructed of red brick. The brick is arranged in a running bond pattern and there are visible breaks in the mortar above every seventh course. These breaks correspond to the location of metal tension rods. The southwestern silo is constructed of a cream color brick. This brick is also arranged in a running bond pattern. Steel tension hoops extend around the exterior of the silo, spaced regularly at roughly every ninth brick course. These two silos were located at the southeastern gable end of a barn, but that barn has been demolished or is in such a ruinous state to now no longer be visible among the vegetation.
The ruin of a wooden frame shed is located to the east of the silos. This ruin has a shed roof covered with corrugated metal panels. The exterior of the ruin is clad with wooden boards arranged horizontally. Window openings are enclosed with plywood. The original function of this shed is unclear from its current appearance.
A circa 1990 gambrel roof pole barn is located to the south of the silos. This building is clad with metal siding. A door is located near the southeast corner of the building.
Previous research conducted in 2004 and recorded in WHPD erroneously identifies this farmstead as having belonged to J. Galaghan and G. Slender. Closer review of available maps conclusively shows that the former Galaghan and Slender properties were further to the south and are unrelated to this site.
In 1851, Carl Schmidt (1799-1872) and his eldest son, Gotthard Smith (note spelling change), began clearing land and planting crops in this part of Caledonia Township. In later years, Gotthard assisted his younger brother Charles with management of the family farm. The 1858 Redding & Wastson Map of Racine County shows this land belonging to Smith (no first name or initial listed) with a farmstead near this location. The adjacent parcel to the north was owned by Chas. Smith while other land a short distance to the west was owned by G. Smith. The names on this 1858 map refer to brothers William Charles Smith (1843-1918) and Gotthard Smith (1831-1890).
The 1873 E. M. Harney Map of Racine & Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin shows this land belonging to G. Smith as well as a farmstead. The 1887 Illustrated Atlas of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin continues to show this land belonging to G. Smith. From this point forward, historic maps and a recent published history of Caledonia offer slightly conflicting accounts of the land. The published history notes that the Windish Company purchased the Smith farm in 1891. The 1893 Knight & Peck Map of the East End of Racine County in the state of Wisconsin identifies this parcel, as well as the adjacent Charles Smith parcel to the north as County Land. The 1899 Plat Book of Racine and Kenosha Counties shows this land belonging to Windish & Co. No information has been found as part of this research indicating the nature of Windish & Co.
The Plat Book of Racine and Kenosha Counties show the Lindsay Bros. here in 1908. The 1924 plat book shows the former Smith farmland split between William Lindsay in the north and H. Hasek on the subject land to the south. The 1934 Atlas and plat book of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin shows H. Haack on the southern land. No conclusive information has been found as part of this research to identify William Lindsay or the Lindsay Brothers; however, there was a well-known producer of agricultural equipment in Milwaukee known as Lindsay Brothers, consisting of brothers William, Edmond, George, Thomas, and Henry. Lindsay Brothers became “the largest jobbers and manufacturers of agricultural implements in the Northwest.” As for H. Hasek and H. Haack on the 1924 and 1934 maps, these may both refer to Herman Julius Haack (1863-1939). His son, Edward Haack, operated this farm from about 1912 until his death in 1962. Edward’s daughter, Hazel Travis, and son-in-law, Glenn Travis, continued to live here for several years afterwards.
An 1873 map identifies this property as belonging to J. Galaghan, while an approximate 1889 map and an 1893 map reflect it belonging to G. Slender and Gottloe Slender.
A Craftsman-style garage (record #10599) is adjacent to the house. |
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