Marshfield News Herald (Marshfield, Wood Co., Wis.)
Saturday, April 12, 2010
Contributor: Ken Wood
Hidden in Plain Sight: Large houses line Cherry Street
MARSHFIELD -- After our visits to the "doll houses" last time, we are going to
visit some places on the other end of the size spectrum -- large and beautiful.
Our first home is at 806 S. Cherry St. It is a large blue-gray Queen Anne style
home built in 1895 with 10 rooms. It has been beautifully maintained and
reflects well the character of 19th century
architecture. The octagonal tower gives the home its unique appearance and
nicely balances the two
large open porch areas. Attention is drawn upward to the turret by the tall
stately trees at its base.
**In 1931, the home was owned by Oliver Roland. In 1964, the Winnebago Children's
Home, also known as Sunburst Youth Homes of Neillsville, bought the home and,
after remodeling, used it as a residential treatment center for emotionally
disturbed children. In 1976, it was sold and once again became a private
residence.**
In the 1963 assessment, the home was rated as "not valuable due to extravagant
construction," but in
1964 it was stated that "the house is located in a very desirable location."
During the 1950s, the house had been turned into a two-family dwelling with the
creation of a second-floor apartment. This apartment contained a small kitchen, living room, bedroom
and bath. According
to one tenant I spoke with, the attic, which opened off the apartment, was a
"really scary dark place.
When I was home alone, I kept waiting for someone to come out of the attic, like
in some horror movie."
The
second home, at 911 S. Cherry St., was built in 1900. It is a large white house
in the Vernacular Victorian style.
The large open porch, stretching across the entire front of the house, reminds
us of a more slow-paced time when people sat on their front porches in the
summer and visited with their neighbors as they strolled by in the evening.
A beautiful feature of this home is the keyhole window on the side of the house
below the third-floor dormer.
This three-story, 2,756-square-foot, nine-room home is nicely situated on a
large lot with several large mature trees shading it.
Across 10th Street, at 1001 S. Cherry St., is an interesting gray home with red
trim. It was built in 1902 and has eight rooms. A small front porch faces west
to catch the evening sunsets. The home sits on a fieldstone foundation.
Remember that these homes are private property and are not open to the public.
Please respect the owners' privacy.
Ken Wood is a member of the Marshfield Historic Preservation Committee. Write to
him at hidden
marshfield@yahoo.com.
806 S. Cherry St. (Contributed photos)
911 S. Cherry St.
1001 S. Cherry St.
**This article is has been attached the Sunburst Home, as there is a connection to the home in Clark County, Wisconsin.**