logo showing map of five-county area in upper Mississippi basin with extensive 1830s Lead Rush history

Projects of the Trust:
Prairie Spring Hotel thumbnail
History of the Lead Region
Deaccessioned projects of the Trust:


Pieffer-Bennett Building,
1840s

Huntington-Wellers Building thumbnail
Huntington-Wellers Building,
1850

Hempstead Building,
***

 

Prairie Spring Hotel

Township of Willow Springs, Lafayette County, Wis., 1834

Click on images for larger view.

east elevation of hotel, without front porches
Before work began, December 1993, east (front) elevation.

northeast view of restored hotel, with two chimneys and two-story porch, prairie plants in foreground
After 1994-95 restoration, in 1997.

 

In this space will be an interesting narrative on the Prairie Spring Hotel. In this space will be an interesting narrative on the Prairie Spring Hotel. In this space will be an interesting narrative on the Prairie Spring Hotel. In this space will be an interesting narrative on the Prairie Spring Hotel.

In this space will be an interesting narrative on the Prairie Spring Hotel. In this space will be an interesting narrative on the Prairie Spring Hotel. In this space will be an interesting narrative on the Prairie Spring Hotel.

 

north face of hotel, only two windows, much paint missing, with debris< Before work began, December 1993, north elevation.

white painted fireplace mantel, fireplace boarded closed, furniture and debris in foreground < Before any cleanup or restoration work began, interior view looking north to classical mantel in parlor.

building front with some siding removed, revealing timber framing. Front elevation showing exposed elements of timber framing.>

closeup of previous photo revealing greater framing detail< Detail photo showing joining of front girts to center post.

front of house with a few pieces of wooden siding removed exposing structural beamFront view of the Hotel before stabilization work began.>

three workers placing beams under raised wood-frame house.Employees of Childs House Movers of Mt. Zion, Wis., preparing the hotel for its move on Nov. 1, 1994.>

crumbling stone foundation walls and stone staircase
< View of outside entrance to basement and stairs; all of the foundation stone and stone stairs were moved to the new site with the building.




Hotel on Nov. 1, 1994 awaiting new foundation, situated at its new site, 1,000 feet from its original location >



< Drilling for the tenon pins of the rear wall braces.


< South gable end wall exposed for repairs and prepared for installation of replacement siding to match the period siding on the north gable end.

View of the stair stringer and casing visible from south gable end of Hotel during repairs.>

< Installation of replicated siding on south end; this siding was made to match the period siding which was intact and undistrubed on the north end of the Hotel.

 two stories of scaffolding set up in front of relocated Hotel
< Hotel with scaffolding during replication of front porch using evidence found on the front of the building

closeup of worker carving into the end of a square beam
< Shaping the tenon on a new wall stud for the missing rear wall.

wall beams awaiting insertion into top of wall.
< New wall studs about to be assembled into the replicated west wall of the Hotel.

five of the wooden joists which will eventually support the floor.View showing beaded oak joists to support the floor of the upper porch. These joists were made to match existing joists in the rear of the hotel which had always been exposed, similar to these front porch joists.>



Closeup showing replicated porch cornice return.>
The Praire Spring Hotel building, circa 1950 < The Prairie Spring Hotel, circa 1950

 

 

 

 
Lead Region Historic Trust, Inc.      234 N. Judgement St.      Shullsburg, WI  53586-9413     USA
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