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By Richard P. HartungSpecial to tne GazetteThe Gazette has published two long letters to the editor in recent months regarding the historic and threatened Volney Atwood House. Both letters were from Atwood family members, and lamented the possible loss of this finehouse. I know both of the writers, and sympathize with their concern and understand their deep emotional attachment to the Atwood House.However, for reasons that thoroughly escape me, both letters—as written and as presented by the Gazette—were used as vehicles to attackthe Rock County Historical Society. As the past director of the RCHS, and as an active preservationist on the local, county, state and regional levels, I cannot understand the basis for these attacks, and wish particularly to respond to several points in the latest letter.First, the recent letter writer accuses supporters of the RCHS of having “tunnel vision.” The implication is that the Atwood House is more important than the Tallman House While the Atwood House does indeed have a very nice banister and stairway, it is hardly the only example of such craftsmanship in Janesville or Rock County. The earlier letter writer specifically compared the Atwood staircase to that in the Tallman House and suggested that the Atwood example was superior. I invite anyone to look at them both and draw your own conclusions.Further, there clearly are a number of other extant houses that, as a whole, are architecturally and probably historically more significant, and more complete and original as well. Two examples will suffice: the Hamilton Richardson House, 429 Prospect, which has been lovingly restored (at no small private expense and effort) by Tom and Judy Berg, and the Jackman-Hough House, 55 S. Atwood, which has been cared for by two generations of the Hough family. Both are far larger, far more elaborately detailed and more intact than the Atwood House, and both were built by significant pioneer Rock County personages.As for the Tallman House and the Tallman family, people sometimes seem to be under the impression that the point of its restoration, and of its presentation to the public, is to enhance the reputation of the Tallman family. However, the Tallman House speaks for itself as the largest and most architecturally significant extant antebellum residence in the entire upper Midwest (one must travel all the way to Madison,GUEST COLUMNISTInd., on the Ohio River to find a house of comparable date and scale),Not only is it an architectural masterpiece, but because the Tallman family kept quantities of paper records on its construction and occupancy as well as significant amounts of the original furnishings, it is a priceless documented artifact as a whole. Thus, what is known and then told about the Tallman family becomes a means to the end of interpreting this site of regional importance and not an end in itself. The fact it is the only residence in Wisconsin where Abraham Lincoln was an overnight guest adds much to its value.In discussing other historical figures in Rock County, the recent letter highlighted Theodore Robinson. For many yeans, this writer has been collecting information about Robinson for placement at the RCHS, including a number ofunsuccessful efforts to acquire a Robinson painting for the collection (the fact that such a painting might cost far more than the cost of moving the Atwood House had something to do with our failure). Current RCHS staff members have continued their interest in this important personage. Also, the letter writer points out that Robinson once lived in Evansville; the Grove Society of Evansville is an active historical agency, which also has worked to preserve his memory.Regardless, it is disputable that Robinson was “our most important citizen, as stated inthe letter. Others worthy of mention includeFrances Willard (represented in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol, while the RCHS preserves her schooIhouse at the 4-H Fairgrounds here), Carrie Jacobs Bond (“I Love You Truly”), Ella Wheeler Wilcox (“Laugh and the world laughs with you ... ”) or, my personal candidate, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, who performed the first known surgery on the human heart (and who was, incidentally, African-American). But, all of these notables, Robinson included, made their contributions after they left Rock County, and most—including Robinson, in spite of what the letter said—were not bom here, either. The RCHS has extensive collections on all of them.Unfortunately, the tone of the two critical letters obscures the real issues. One issue is the value of preserving the Atwood House specifically and our built environment in general; another issue is the proper role of the RCHS.Janesville has an official Historic Commis sion; it listed the Atwood House on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the West Milwaukee Street Historic District. This noml nation was based on preliminary work done by the RCHS. which had an active historic preservation role prior to the establishment of historic commissions in a number of communities In that role, the RCHS facilitated the preservation of many historic structures, such as the Hayes Block, Cotton Mills, Emerson and Pearson halls at Beloit College. Clinton water tower, Footville State Bank, Beckman Mill in Newark and a number of private residences The RCHS could not have undertaken the preservation of all these structures by itself, and the unstated assumption of the letter writers that the RCHS must assume some unknown but leading role in the preservation ofthe Atwood House is unwarranted. In fact, it is unclear to me from the letters just exactly what they think the RCHS—or anyone—should do about the Atwood House. The French family has cared for and improved it for a number of years and hopes to have it moved, assuming i aspaign is successful. Clearly this is the best solution for the house and the community. If anyone has a specific and viable better idea then they should present that concept to the city—which has the responsibility—and/or the RCHS, along with a funding plan.Another issue raised by the most recent letter is the presentation of Rock County history in a museum or preservation setting. Those of us involved in moving the RCHS into the armory some 16 years ago hoped to see it develop as a museum for interpreting all of Rock County history. To that end, for almost 50 years, the RCHS has, with the help of numerous and generous donors, been accumulating a large and diverse collection of artifacts and records. As it happens, on the one hand the collection has become so large as to now virtually fill the armory. On the other hand, the community as a whole-including the municipality and downtown business interests—has not significantly supported this vision of a museum with its funding or its patronage. By contrast, the RCHS has been very successful with its recent Tallman projects, which have been well-funded and patronized.Richard P. Hartung is past director of the Rock County Historical Society. He lives in Janesville.
Newspaper Details
Janesville Gazette
Janesville, Wisconsin, US
Thu, Jul 18, 1996
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
Hedberg P.
Wisconsin, USA 10 Jul 2023
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