Contact: Kara O’Keeffe
608-261-9596
kara.okeeffe@wisconsinhistory.org

Palmyra Township, Wis. – The Wisconsin Historical Society placed the Knapp-Calkins Farmstead (Palmyra Township, Jefferson County) on the State Register of Historic Places on August 17, 2018.

The Knapp-Calkins Farmstead is a distinctive and well-preserved example of a Wisconsin farmstead whose varied agricultural outbuildings represents the growth and development of the farm from 1881 to 1950. The individual buildings of the farmstead are good examples of their building types and the farmhouse is a distinctive example of the late Italianate style of architecture with interior features that possess high artistic value. The striking design of the house showcases the best of Italianate design: cream brick walls on a stone foundation; tall arched windows embellished with window hoods; tall, paired, wood doors; wide overhanging eaves under a hipped roof which retains its distinctive large cupola. On the interior, the extensive application of faux wood grain treatments throughout the first and second floor of the house is of exceptional artistry, quality and variety of wood species. The artist elevated what was a known form of relatively simple interior embellishment, to a masterwork.

The State Register is Wisconsin’s official list of state properties determined to be significant to Wisconsin’s heritage. The State Historic Preservation Office at the Wisconsin Historical Society administers both the State Register and National Register in Wisconsin.

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org.

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