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The roof needs replacing, as well as the bathroom, windows, heating and air conditioning. Black mold is embedded in the plaster. The ceilings and floors sag because a major support beam was cut to change the main stairwell’s direction.
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The Henry Goerke House, built prior to 1853 and located at 125 S. Hill St. in Fountain City, Wis., is the oldest existing building in Buffalo County. The Fountain City Historical Society acquired the property in 2003 and is now selling the historical landmark due to lack of funds and volunteers required for its restoration. Bids, with a minimun of $65,000, will be taken until July 28.
(Photo by Paul Solberg/Winona Daily News) |
But the main value in the Henry Goerke House is its history, local supporters say. Built in 1853 by the county’s third settler, it is the oldest existing building in Buffalo County.
The Fountain City Historical Society decided to sell the house after costs to renovate it into a federally registered historic house museum soared past what a committee of longtime residents and historians had in mind when they bought the property in 2003.
The sale would include the grounds that extend from Hill Street to Hwy. 35 and a covenant to ensure the buyer doesn’t tear the 155-year-old brick structure down, convert it to rental property or break up the land for commercial use.
A restrictive easement would permanently require the buyer and all future owners to maintain the historical appearance of the exterior and preserve the grounds open to the highway below, society president Ardy Keilholtz said.
The society also will favor buyers who want to preserve the interior with the necessary modern adaptations, she said. The minimum bid to cover obligations of the society would have to start at $65,000. All bids must be in by July 28.
The Goerke House Committee did make significant headway in restoration. An added front and back porch was removed to restore the original entryway. One roof on the split-level was redone with wooden shakes. The interior was stripped down to plaster and floor boards.
Then came the bill for meeting government codes and historic requirements. Handicap accessibility, public restroom requirements and other historic improvements — such as using era-specific paint — brought the total renovation price tag to more than $200,000, Keilholtz said.
Selling the Henry Goerke House now might be the only way to preserve its historic integrity, said Buffalo County historian and retired circuit court judge Gary Schlosstein.
“I think everybody at this stage of the game would be happy to see it properly taken care of, properly restored and properly preserved, whether that’s in our hands or someone else’s,” Schlosstein said.
Amber Dulek is a reporter for the Winona (Minn.) Daily News.
