Property Record
1 MILE W OF BENTON (N SIDE) ON HIGHWAY 11
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | BURRELL FARM |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 65062 |
| Location (Address): | 1 MILE W OF BENTON (N SIDE) ON HIGHWAY 11 |
|---|---|
| County: | Lafayette |
| City: | Benton |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | 1 |
| Range: | 1 |
| Direction: | E |
| Section: | 8 |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1870 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1982 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Other Vernacular |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| Additional Information: | MAP LOCATION QUESTIONABLE. OUT OF CITY? This is a brick two-story structure with a sloping roof that has a gabled extension to the north. The entrance in the three-bayed gable end has a sidelighted door with a transom and fluted Doric columns support the small entrance porch roof. Brick segmental relieving arches are found over the windows. The house was constructed of three foyers of brick, allowing two air spaces from the foundation to the roof. According to Phillip Tresch's survey, brick and lumber were hauled by team from Galena. Rock for the foundation was quarried at Aetna. Some of the lumber in the basement has Galena written on it. A brick smoke house, part of the 19th century complex of building structures, remains at the rear of the house. This house is architecturally significant as a good example of substantial rural 19th century architecture in brick. Furthermore, the farmstead has been important as a visual landmark for the Town of Benton since the mid 19th century. This house is significant because of its association with prominent persons of Benton Town and Village. The farm upon which the house stands was originally known as the John Barrell Farm. John Barrell was a couty supervisor for Lafayette County. He also laid and platted the Village of Benton in 1844. Barrell also mined lead. There are numerous diggings on the farm. The house was built by Burrell about 1870. In 1890 William H. Calvert, a prominent farmer and miner bought the farm and moved his family there. Calvert, born in Yorkshire, England in 1815, immigrated to Benton in 1839. He mined lead for ten years. The Calverts mines were just northwest of the village. Calvert was also instrumental in founding the Benton Methodist Church. He served on the School Board also. Walter B. Calvert inherited the farm and moved his family there in 1941. Walter is the grandson of William Harker. Walter too has been a leader of the community. He served in the state legislature from 1955 to the mid-1960s. The present owner is Walter's son Wally. Walter is retired and lives in Benton. Wally conducts a beef and grain farm on the farm now. |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: | (A) Walter Calvert, Benton, WI. (B) Butterfield, History of Lafayette County, 1881, p. 557. (C) Commemorative Biographical Record, 1900. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |