William F. Kuehneman House, Racine Wisconsin
This home was likely built in 1853. This is based on the fact that Eli Cooley bought the property in 1851 for $800 and sold in in May, 1854 for $3,500 to Elias Jennings. The subsequent owners were: Charles E. Dyer, E.C. Deane (1891), George W. Morris, Sir James Horlick, and George W. Taylor. Many of these people were prominent in commercial and political affairs in Racine. The Kuehnemans acquired the property from the Taylors in 1945.
The house was completely restored by Mrs. Kuehneman after it had become greatly run down during the time of the Taylors. Except for the installation of modern conveniences such as bathrooms, the main body of the house seems to be little altered. There appears to have been an extension of the south wind at some undetermined date, and the Kuehnemans added a sun room on the rear.
The buildings dimensions are 54 feet by 55 feet with two stories. The home has three chimneys, all brick. The front and rear doors feature leaded glass transoms.
The interior first floor consists of stair hall running through the north side of the center block, front to back (see diagrams). The living room occupies the entire north wing to the left of the stair hall. At the right of the stair hall to the south, there were, apparently, originally four large rooms, but the southeast room has been alter to form a bathroom, and extended toward the east to form a kitchen. The second floor occupies the main block and the south wing only.
