Property Record
165 S CALHOUN RD
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Jacob Ruby Farmstead - House |
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| Other Name: | VK Properties |
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| Reference Number: | 7785 |
| Location (Address): | 165 S CALHOUN RD |
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| County: | Waukesha |
| City: | Brookfield |
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| Year Built: | 1861 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 20051975 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Greek Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Cream Brick |
| Architect: | Jacob Ruby |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| National Register Listing Date: | |
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| 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. Other records associated with this building include: House (AHI #7785), Bank Barn #2 (AHI #105027), Bank Barn #1 (AHI #138939), Garage #2 (AHI #138940), Smokehouse (AHI #138941), Pumphouse (AHI #138942), Fireplace (AHI #138943), and Milk Processing Facility (AHI #138944). The B in the photo codes stands for BKFD. Another Survey map name is City Engineer 10-1-92. DESCRIPTION: This cream brick farm house has been expanded many times in the history of the Ruby Family. Most notable features of the two-story hipped roof southern section are two-story brick pilasters topped with corbelled capitals; the pilasters appear to hold up a corbelled brick entablature topped by a simple wooden frieze and overhanging eave. The northern portion of the house includes multiple gable-roofed sections with returns at the eave lines. Unadorned stone sills and lintels appear throughout the structure. Related to the house are numerous agriculutral outbuildings which flank both sides of Calhoun Road and are in excellent repair. ARCHITECTURAL/ENGINEERING SIGNIFICANCE: The significance of the Ruby Farm lies in the combination of the historic residence and the numerous agricultural barns and outbuildings, set within an identifiable farmstead with open fields and fenced paddocks. The large gambrel-roofed Dairy Barn west of the house, with its distinctive cupola, is on of the best barns in Brookfield Township. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: Jacob Ruby came to Brookfield Township in 1848, where he bought 40 acres of farmland and built a log cabin. In the 1860 census Ruby (Rube) is listed as having come from Wutemburg Germany and his property was valued at $400. By the time of the 1870 Census, the value of his property is listed as $10,000 indicating major expansion of acreage and/or major improvements to his dwelling and farm buidings. It is probable that Ruby built the cream brick residence around 1860. The Ruby farm produced sugar beets, with some 400 tons shipped annually to Green Bay. The Rubys also sold vegetables, feed cavels, honey, hay and fruit from three large apple orchards. A dairy was started in 1933 that included home delivery six days a week. The Ruby family operated this farm, one of Waukesha County's major farms, for nearly 100 years; in 1953 granson Rolland Ruby started a real estate business. He developed Ruby Isle Shopping Center and started the Elm Brook Bank in the 1960s. His love of farming and horses led him to train Belgian draft horses for a 6-horse hitch. A large wagon used for parades and the Ruby Realty 6-horse hitch were famous throughout the United States. 2005-- This property was initially surveyed in 1979 and was mapped on DOT Brookfield. The property was resurveyed in 2005 and all of the structures remain intact, with little to no changes to the farm as a whole. In addition, the board and batten sheathed commercial structure to the north of the barn on the east side of Calhoun Road was the milk processing facility when Ruby farm had their own milk processing operation. Based on census and tax roll info, it does not appear that Ruby purchased land in the Town of Brookfield until 1851; however, it is likely that the citation regarding that Ruby built the brick house 10 years after settling here seems to be correct. See additional cards for individual photos of each outbuilding. The house and outbuildings located on the west side of Calhoun Road were sold to a developer in January of 2005; however, Katherine Ruby still resides in the home. Her son Jacob Ruby still owns the former farm property, including the milk processing facility, located on the east side of Calhoun Road. |
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| Bibliographic References: | 1860, 1870 Census Records. Brookfield News 2/15/2001. Elm Grove Elm Leaves 2/15/2001. Arline Kirkham, ed., Historic Landmark Tour: Brookfield-Elm Grove, Wisconsin (New Berlin, WI), Kettle Moraine Questers, 1991), 14. Jacob Rube, obituary, Waukesha Freeman, 8 April 1909, 1/6. Daniel Hounsell, "Rolland Ruby Helped Shape Today's Brookfield," Waukesha Freeman, 15 March 1988. Tax Rolls, Town of Waukesha, 1860-1920. Census records, 1860 to 1920, including ag census for 1860 and 1870. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |