The Manitowoc County Historical Society Museum and Pinecrest Village is in the final stages of restoration on the 1.5 million project to bring the historic Meeme House to new life at the museum.
The Meeme House is a circa 1855 stagecoach inn that housed not only the bar room and boarding rooms, but also a dry goods store, and a dance hall with an iconic hand-painted stage.
There is less than $400,000 to raise to make this restoration complete. The Meeme House is scheduled to open later this year and will be a welcome year-round space to tell the stories of our past for generations to come.
The Meeme House was purchased by the Manitowoc County Historical Society in 2013 with the plans to relocate and restore the building. This process has faced many roadblocks but is set for completion in 2025.
The story of the Meeme House begins in 1847 when Michael and Andreas Herr arrived at the location the structure would later occupy. The two brothers immigrated from Germany, stopping first in the Sheboygan area and ended their journey in 1849 in the Township of Meeme along the Green Bay Road in section 23. The two brothers, at the time in need of funds, went to Racine to work in 1850, and are listed there on the Census as hired men.
The Meeme House was built on the Green Bay Road in roughly in the center of Michael’s 80 acre farm, that bordered his brother’s 80 acre property.
The house passed through three families before landing with the Manitowoc County Historical Society. It was built by Michael Herr and then operated by his son. The house passed to Peter DeGroot for a period of three years. It was then purchased by Joseph Schwartz in 1909. He and his wife, Minnie, ran the tavern, which then passed to their daughter, Valeria Sessler and her husband, John. The house was purchased after Valeria’s death in 2012. Throughout its existence, the building has been the center of community, civic, and family life.
One of the most notable aspects of the Meeme House is the structure’s second floor. It consists of three small boarding rooms, an open hall, and a stage area. The Inn’s stage includes a canvas stage curtain adorned with a painting of a rural landscape. A pair of Moorish columns are present in the foreground, while a small bridge straddles a stream leading back into a mountain range. The mountain denotes the Swiss Alps in a German countryside, while painted details such as the tasseled teaser along the top of the canvas, and a butterfly curtain (popular through the 1870's and 90's) date the mural from the late 1890's to the early 1900's. Behind this cover, the stage consists of several sliding canvas panels stretched over wooden frames with painted woodland scenes.
Historical Society volunteers are putting the final pieces together for the building's restoration. This includes millwork, doors, and period furnishings to the 1870s.
You can learn more about the Meeme House project, watch videos, see the progress, and donate today on our website at www.ManitowocCountyHistory.org.
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