The Mill House

This 1837 building is the current home for the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center, and holds the title of oldest building in the county. Originally built to house workers of the lumber company, the building has also been a boarding house and private residence. Thanks to the tireless work of local individuals, the building has been preserved and continues to stand as a representative of Sheboygan County history.

The Mill House, current home of the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center (SCHRC), holds the title of the oldest building in the county. After Silas Stedman had his mill the Rochester Lumber Company up and running, there was a demand for housing for the workers. In 1837, the Rochester Lumber Company built this two-story Greek-revival building to fulfill the need.

As more settlers moved to the new village, they too needed temporary housing while construction of new homes was underway. As the workers found their own permanent homes, the building became a boarding house and later a hotel operated by William West. It was at that time that West renamed the building “Temperance Hall”.

In 1860, Charles Cole purchased the building for two of his sons, William and James, to turn into homes for each of them. Cole removed the center entrance, added eight feet to the south end and divided the structure into two equal residences by adding a center wall. Slightly later, summer kitchens were added as well. The house became known locally as the “mirror” or “double house” for this reason.

For nearly a century the house remained a two-family dwelling. In the late 1960s, it was further divided and turned into a four-family apartment complex. The building’s original shutter features were removed and faux-brick siding covered the original wooden lap. Over the next twenty years the building slowly deteriorated until it was purchased in 1985 by Sheboygan Falls Mutual Insurance Co., which planned to demolish the old “eye sore” to make room for a new parking lot.

Thanks to the hard work of a group of local preservation-minded individuals and through a complex arrangement, the building was deeded to Sheboygan County Landmarks Ltd. and demolition was avoided. It was at that time that a $500,000 fundraising campaign began and restoration of the historic building could get underway. After restoration work was completed in 1987, the lovingly restored building was gifted to the SCHRC as its new home.

The SCHRC welcomes members of the public into the historic building to view its vast collection of historical documents. If you are interested in seeing the historic Mill House, the collection of material it houses, or see their upcoming events calendar, visit their website for more information on operational hours and events dates and times.

Sheboygan County Historical Research Center, Travel Wisconsin. Accessed December 8th, 2023. https://www.travelwisconsin.com/museums-history/sheboygan-county-historical-research-center-200973.

Research Center Beginnings, Sheboygan County Historical Research Center. Accessed December 8th, 2023. https://www.schrc.org/about/our-story/.

Klein, Gary C. Sheboygan County's oldest building is home to the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center | Throwback Thursday, March 17th, 2022. Accessed December 8th, 2023. https://www.sheboyganpress.com/story/news/2022/03/17/sheboygan-oldest-building-home-historical-research-center/7056628001/.