Mansion known as Villa Louis was constructed 150 years ago
This is the earliest image of the “new house” commissioned by H. Louis Dousman to be built for him and his family on the estate now known for the Villa Louis mansion.
Pictured is the Villa Louis’ first floor hall, as it was in the 1880s.
H. Louis Dousman
E. Townsend Mix
By Correne Martin
Last month was the 150th anniversary of the completion of construction of the (later named) Villa Louis mansion, in Prairie du Chien.
H. Louis Dousman, who had the rich Italian Villa Style home built by an esteemed Milwaukee architect in 1871, described his Prairie du Chien property as a “country estate” in its early years. It was only named Villa Louis after Louis’ death (1886), by his widow, Nina, in memory of her late husband.
In honor of the anniversary, the Villa Louis Historic Site is celebrating as much as possible virtually, due to the site’s currently paused tour status because of the pandemic. Plans will evolve as the year carries on, so supporters are invited to keep up with social media posts or the most up-to-date event information.
First, staff is sharing twice weekly Facebook posts, through the end of March, about the origin and construction of the main home building located there today. They can all be found under the following hashtag: #150YearsOf
VillaLouis.
“Prior to finding out we were paused, we had a celebration planned for August,” said Susan Caya-Slusser, Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) Southwest Sites Regional Director. “Now, we’re working with our management team to figure out what we can do virtually.”
Furthermore, former Villa Louis curator Mary Antoine will publish two 150th anniversary writings in WHS’ “Wisconsin Magazine of History” in the summer and fall of 2021.
The summer publication will focus on the summer of 1898 in particular. This was where “Mrs. Dousman had a well organized house party for her four adult children,” Antoine said. “That’s when a lot of the photography was taken of the inside and outside of the mansion.”
Her intentions for the fall piece are regarding the restoration of the estate, with photographs, of course.
Followers may also notice construction in the upcoming season. Specifically, the mansion kitchen will receive a new floor. Caya-Slusser said this has been a need for a “very long time.” Flood repairs from 2019 damage will be tended, some trees that are causing damage to the walkway will be removed, and some of the hedges around the pond will be replaced.
Families and kids can also be on the lookout for some virtual programming this season—such as coloring contests, trivia, etc.—likely in conjunction with the public library, Ft. Crawford Museum and the Prairie du Chien Historical Society (which is also marking its 25th anniversary of existence in 2021).
What follows is documentation from Antoine about the origin of the living quarters on the Villa Louis Historic Site.
The Villa Louis
Villa Louis was the name given to the Dousman family residential property in Prairie du Chien by Nina Dousman. She began using the title Villa Louis formally on her correspondence in April 1886, about three months after the death of her husband, H. Louis Dousman. The term Villa Louis described the Dousman estate encompassing the mansion and all other structures located on the family property in the 4th Ward of Prairie du Chien. Louis himself had referred to the property as the Artesian Stock Farm.
Hercules L. Dousman died suddenly on Sept. 12, 1868, leaving his wife, Jane Fisher Dousman, and his son, whom all called Louis, as heirs to his estate.
At the time of Hercules’ death, Louis was living in Madison. Hercules had engaged private tutors and sent Louis to various boarding schools, but his education had not prepared him for university. So, Louis was in his second year of taking classes in preparation for attending UW-Madison. His studies included arithmetic, algebra, English composition, physical geography, Latin and Greek.
Informed of Hercules’ death, Louis returned to Prairie du Chien and did not return to the university. At the age of 20, Louis was now the heir to his father’s extensive estate of real estate, stocks and bonds, and fluid assets.
By 1870, the Dousman home in Prairie du Chien, though richly decorated and filled with fine furnishings, was woefully out of date. Now the heir to his father’s sizeable estate, Louis wished to live in a house just as fashionable, if not more up-to-date, than his cousin’s homes in Milwaukee. Louis must have been thinking about having a new residence constructed as he awaited the settlement of Hercules’ estate. And his uncles gave Louis some advice: contact E. Townsend Mix.
E. Townsend Mix
Edward Townsend Mix was born in New Haven, Conn., and studied architecture in New York City. He moved to Chicago in 1855 and began a brief partnership with architect William W. Boyington. The firm’s work took Mix to Milwaukee. In 1856, Mix dissolved his partnership with Boyington and settled in Milwaukee. He was quickly retained to design commercial structures for the city’s leading businessmen. His designs were so highly regarded that Mix was appointed Wisconsin’s State Architect from 1864 to 1867.
On March 10, 1870, E. Townsend Mix and H. Louis Dousman signed an agreement. In the agreement, Mix agreed: “to build, finish and complete in a carefull, skillfull and workmanlike manner, a brick two-story dwelling house of a size 48 x 49 feet on the ground and height of (28) feet from top of first story joists to the top of plates with addition on side for a kitchen of size shown by plans.” The “new house”
According to the agreement, the house was to be built with common brick made in Prairie du Chien, then faced externally with the “best pressed brick of Milwaukee make…” E.T. Mix was to “take down and remove the old building now on the premises except (icehouse), and in consideration...” Mix was also given permission to reuse any of the materials or decorative elements from the 1844 house.
Mix had drawn plans of the house he had proposed to build for Louis Dousman, which detailed the “general style of house inside and out.” Mix considered the style “plain” but it included many detailed elements of the Italianate style, which was very popular. In his original designs that Mix presented to Louis, Mix had drawn a “plain veranda on all sides of the house.” Mix had built his home with an open veranda, as was the style for Italianate houses. But by June 1870, Louis had requested that the veranda on his new house be enclosed with windows. Mix informed Louis that this change to his plans would incur an additional cost of $473.00, and Mix had the veranda constructed.
By the end of January 1871, Mix and the masons, carpenters, plasterers, and painters he had retained had completed their work for Louis Dousman. Louis and Jane moved into their new home, accompanied by Louis LeBrun, butler/manservant for the Dousman family since the mid-1850s. The construction of the house included plastered walls, painted woodwork, plumbing for the kitchen and two bathrooms, and the installation of steam radiators and three or four fireplaces for heat. Carpeting was installed on the stairs and in one room. Some parlor and bedroom furniture was purchased, but the furnishings used to decorate this new house seem initially to have been furniture and art prints from the House on the Mound. The total cost of the construction, including changes to the contract for the veranda windows, was $21,758.05.
When the mansion was finished, Louis resided there with his mother, Jane, until shortly after his marriage to Nina Linn Sturgis in November of 1873. Louis and Nina moved to St. Louis in early 1875, while Jane continued to live in the house until her death. Although Louis was temporarily settled in St. Louis, Jane was not alone. Records indicate that her cousin, B.W. Brisbois, lived in the house for many years. In addition, LeBrun was around, as were housekeeper Penelope McLeod and the “useful man” Joseph Drew. This staff was installed to see to all of Jane’s needs. For general estate management, Louis hired Peter Nolan, who reported weekly to Louis. Nolan’s letters to St. Louis document family concerns and issues, as well as the business matters of the estate. They also deal regularly with the livestock, produce, and property management of the two family farms located in nearby coulees. While living in St. Louis, Louis described his Prairie du Chien property as a “country estate.”
The house remained much the same until after Jane’s death on Jan. 13, 1882. It was after that when Louis decided to move back to Prairie du Chien and start a new business: a stock farm for Standard Bred trotting horses.
After Louis died in 1886, Nina remarried in 1889. She and her new husband relocated to New York City. Later divorced, Nina and the Dousman family returned to the Villa Louis in the late summer of 1893, where they remained until 1913.
