105 North Second Street / 202 East Main - 220 East Main Street (north side)
105 North Second (200 East Main Street) (Mt. Horeb Telephone Company)
105 North Second Street
This brick-veneered Art Deco building was erected to house the Mount Horeb Telephone Company in 1930. Additions were made in 1958, 1974, and 1981. Although the original storefront window openings have been reduced, the building retains nice Art Deco details such as fluted pilasters, and ornamental brickwork forming a chevron pattern over the main entrance. The first telephone in Mount Horeb was installed in 1895, when John N. Dahlen, editor of the Mount Horeb Times, installed one telephone at the newspaper office (which was located in a building across the street at 106 North Second Street). It was connected to a second phone at the Mount Horeb Academy, some five blocks distant. The first local telephone exchange was begun in 1902, by Frank E. Bell of Baraboo, and was also located in the Mount Horeb Times building. The first switchboard was outgrown almost immediately, and replaced in 1903. The first public phone booth was erected just east of the A. Hoff Company store at 101-103 East Main Street on January 1, 1903. Five Mount Horeb residents formed the Mount Horeb Independent Telephone Company and bought Frank Bell out in 1903. They were Dr. Niels C. Evans, George Britton, Thomas G. Lingard, Henry L. Dahle and John N. Dahlen. The telephone company moved into this building when it was completed in 1930 (Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, p. 53). In 1958-59, an addition was built to accommodate dial equipment. A second addition was constructed in 1974, to house digital equipment and provide work space for plant employees. The third addition was begun in 1980 and completed in 1981. There were several buildings on this site previously. The Jul Mithus house stood on the northeast corner of Main and Second Streets. Mithus had his boot and shoe shop in the house. The wooden boot sign for his shop can be seen at Little Norway. Jul Mithus' son, Edward, opened his dental office in the Mithus house in 1908 (Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, p. 23). Edward Mithus had an active dental practice up until his death in 1952. His office was later located at 138 East Main Street (extant). There was another house on this property, just east of the Jul Mithus' house. It was the home of Al Johnson. After the Mithus and Johnson houses were demolished, the lots stood empty for awhile, and served as a village green. In 1930, the Mount Horeb Telephone Company building was erected. In 1939, a building was erected for Dr. Clarence Gonstead at 202 East Main Street (on the former site of the Mithus house, at the northeast corner of East Main and Second Streets). That building housed Dr. Gonstead's chiropractic clinic from 1939 until 1964. From 1971 until 1981, the building housed the public library. The Gonstead building was demolished in 1981 to make way for the third addition to the Mount Horeb Telephone Company building (Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, p. 53). The Mount Horeb Telephone Company is not individually eligible for designation as a Mount Horeb Historic Site, but is a contributing element in the potential locally-designated Main Street Historic District. |
202 East Main Street (Dr. Clarence Gonstead Chiropractic Office - demolished) (see text above)
208-210 East Main Street (Sam Thompson House I)
208-210 East Main Street
This frame two-story cube house was built for pioneer Mount Horeb blacksmith Sam Thompson in 1890. The Craftsman-influenced front porch was probably built for John Birrenkott in 1921 (Village of Mount Horeb Tax Rolls). The house has been asbestos-sided. Henry and William Birrenkott converted the house into a duplex (Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, p. 23), perhaps as early as 1927. Sam Thompson, who owned this house from 1890 until 1908, was an early blacksmith in Mount Horeb. He was born in Norway and came to the United States in 1861. In 1872, he bought the first blacksmith shop in Mount Horeb, which belonged to William Bunnell and stood on the northeast corner of present-day Springdale and Eighth Streets (The Mount Horeb Centennial Book, 1861-1961, pp. 11, 13). In 1881, Thompson moved that building to what is now 105 East Main Street. Thompson moved the shop to 217 East Main Street in 1892. He retired from blacksmithing in 1895 (The Mount Horeb Centennial Book, 1861-1961, p.24; Village of Mount Horeb Tax Rolls; Mount Horeb Times, June 6, 1895). Dr. J.C. Cutler lived in the house from 1908 until 1913 (The Mount Horeb Centennial Book, 1861-1961, p. 50; Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, p. 43; Village of Mount Horeb Tax Rolls). Members of the Birrenkott family lived here from 1920 until at least 1975. John Birrenkott established the National Buick Auto Company at 104 South Grove Street (extant, but altered) circa 1913. In addition to Buicks, Birrenkott carried Pontiac automobiles and agricultural implements. The name of the business was changed to Birrenkott Sales Company sometime between 1924 and 1928. Henry and William Birrenkott both worked for the company, which was still in business as late as 1961 (The Mount Horeb Centennial Book, 1861-1961, p. 16; Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, p. 27; Wisconsin State Gazetteer and Business Directory). This property was owned by Sam Thompson from at least 1890 until 1908, by J.C. Cutler from 1908 until 1914, by O.C. Stolen in 1915, by Hannah Kelliher from 1916 until 1920, by John Birrenkott from 1920 until 1927, by Henry and William Birrenkott from 1927 until at least 1955, by William Birrenkott from at least 1960 until at least 1975, and by Beverly Buechner since at least 1980 (Village of Mount Horeb Tax Rolls). The Thompson House is not individually eligible for historic designation, but is a contributing element in the potential locally-designated Main Street Historic District. |
214 East Main Street (Olson's Flower Shop)
212 [214] East Main Street
This frame Foursquare house was erected for Elef Severson in 1910 (Village of Mount Horeb Tax Rolls). It is a fine and intact example of a Foursquare and features cottage windows with leaded glass. The house remained in the Severson family until 1964, when William and Muriel Olson purchased it for their florist shop (Mount Horeb Presettlement to 1986, p. 30). Olson's Flowers was still in the building in 1996. The Olsons put an addition on the rear and east of the building. This property was owned by Elef Severson from 1910 until at least 1935, by John Severson from at least 1940 until at least 1945, by Emma Severson from 1950 until 1964, and by William and Muriel Olson since 1964. The Severson House is not individually eligible for historic designation, but is a contributing element in the potential locally-designated Main Street Historic District. |
220 East Main Street (Ole Granum/Albert W. Gordon House)
220 East Main Street
This frame two-story house cube house was probably built by carpenter Ole Granum in 1883 to serve as his residence (Village of Mount Horeb Tax Rolls; Blue Mounds Weekly News, October 23, 1883). Railroad and telegraph agent Albert W. Gordon and his wife Elizabeth bought the house in 1886 (Blue Mounds Weekly News, May 12, 1886). Gordon was the son of Madison architect J.O. Gordon, who designed the Mount Horeb Opera House. The Gordons substantially expanded this house in 1896 (Village of Mount Horeb Tax Rolls). The Gordons lived in the house until at least 1907. A later resident was Teman Gordon, who resided here from 1911 until his death in the late 1920s; it remained in his family until at least 1940 (Village of Mount Horeb Tax Rolls). William and Muriel Olson bought the property circa 1975, opening the Christmas House gift shop in the building in 1977. The Olsons put a large addition on the front of the building in 1987 (building permit, July 15, 1987). This property was owned by Ole Granum from 1883 until 1886, by Albert W. Gordon from 1886 until 1908, by Ben Erbe from 1908 until 1911, by Teman Gordon (and later his estate) from 1911 until at least 1940, by Roy Fink from at least 1945 until at least 1955, by the American Legion in 1960, by James Scott in 1965, by Zwald Properties in 1970, and by William and Muriel Olson since at least 1975. The Granum/Gordon House is not individually eligible for historic designation, and is a noncontributing element in the potential locally-designated Main Street Historic District. |