An Opulent interior...
Hearthstone is noteworthy for its richness of interior finishes. The artistic treatment of ceiling, wall and floor surfaces, also hallmarks of high style examples, are in evidence on the interior of the house. The elaborate design and richness of interior detail elevates this house in significance. It is the equal to other houses in Wisconsin which represent the best examples of the style in the state.
Importantly, the interior of Hearthstone is now fully restored with the completion of the last space occupied by the Rogers family - the upstairs bathroom, which has just be returned to its 1882 splendor. The room features hand painted and embossed plumbing fixtures, sterling silver faucets, a zinc bathtub, and elaborate hard carved wood work.
Filled with art and craftsmanship
Enter the grand hall and you are immediately captivated by the use of wood - afterall, Wisconsin at the time had a wood-powered economy with lumber barons and paper magnates dominating the state. It is easy to sense the opulence in the paneled wainscoting, the deeply coffered ceiling, the door surrounds, and the main stairway opening surround and furnishings throughout. Much of the work was done by a local twenty-two year old woodcarver named William Van Stratum who installed the decorative wood moldings found in the house and carved many of the wood elements.
But there is a softer side too. Literature themed ceramic tiles produced by the Minton Hollins & Company in Stoke-on-Trent, England, surround several coal burning fireplaces. The fireplace surround in the formal parlor is composed of ceramic tiles depicting Evangeline, a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, which were produced by Green Bay, Wisconsin, artist Frederika Crane. A fresco of an organic nature, attributed to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, artist John Franklin Waldo, adorns the upper walls and ceiling in the formal parlor. Walls also feature period ornamental design and framed artwork. The floors are covered with an assortment of lavish oriental rugs.
Throughout, the house is furnished with pieces that either belonged to the Rogers family or are of the Eastlake style that an upper class family would have purchased at the time. Hearthstone truly reflects an age of high art and design.
Experience the opulence, the art, and the craftsmanship on your tour of Hearthstone.
Information on a small subset of Hearthstone’s collections, featuring significant works of William Van Stratum and Frederika Crane, is available to researchers on the Wisconsin Decorative Arts online database through the Wisconsin Historical Society. A link to this subset is here.