Stop 4 – Schwenn House
About
Downtown Middleton Historic Walking Trail and Historic Landmark Trail Stop Four:
Built in 1902 for John and Mary Durkopp Lubeke on property originally owned by Henry and Ida Rohl Schuster, this home is associated primarily with the Schwenn family. Charles Schwenn (1850-1928), an early German immigrant, moved to the house from his farm in 1911. Active in local business and government, Schwenn served as village treasurer, town chairman, member of the Dane County Board, and president of the Middleton Power and Light Company. His wife, Henrietta Schenck (1853-1925), was a daughter of Karl Schenck, one of the earliest pastors of the First Lutheran Church. The house is built on a foundation of locally quarried stone and exemplifies the Queen Anne style. Key elements include a steeply pitched roof, a prominent front gable (note the unusual curved hexagonal shingles contrasting the narrow clapboard siding), an asymmetrical façade, and a wrap-around front porch. Although several exterior alterations have been made, the basic structure and architectural details of the house remain unchanged.
Status: This is currently a privately owned home and is not open to the public.
Click here for stop five: Railroad Depot
Photos from the Middleton Historical Society.
