Contact:Kara O’Keeffe
Wisconsin Historical Society
E-Mail: kara.okeeffe@wisconsinhistory.org
Hartford, Wis. – The Wisconsin Historical Society placed the Schwartz Family House (Hartford, Washington County) on the State Register of Historic Places on August 18, 2017. State Historic Preservation Officer Jim Draeger presents a certificate to Pat Frank and Michele Price.
The Schwartz Family House is a very good and highly intact residential example of the American Craftsman style of architecture in the city of Hartford. The American Craftsman style has its roots in the earlier English Arts & Crafts movement, the latter style of which is known for designs inspired by English vernacular architecture, typically having steep roofs, solid massing, and clear expressions of materials. It’s general characteristics of stucco sheathing and an abundance of windows corresponding to room function are exhibited by the Schwartz Family House. Additional exterior detailing of the home includes wooden bracket trim, exposed wooden rafter tails, as well as false half-timber trim—detailing that makes the house a definitive example of the American Craftsman style. Further underscoring the home’s Craftsman styling is its interior, which retains a significant degree of original features including wooden floors and trim throughout—including a bracketed wooden plate rail and a hand-painted landscape mural in the dining room—as well as Arts & Crafts stenciling in the entrance foyer and an ornate plasterwork ceiling in the living room and library. Since its construction in 1915, virtually no alterations have been made to its exterior, along with little alteration occurring on its interior. The Schwartz Family House, which was owned and occupied by the Schwartz family for fifty years, has no direct stylistic comparable located within the city limits of Hartford, thus further distinguishing its local architectural significance.
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.
About Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
