I’m excited to announce that I’ve been invited to give a talk on the restoration of the Brisbane House for the Local History & Historic Preservation Conference sponsored by the Wisconsin Historical Society, October 16 – 18, 2024, in Appleton. Watch their website for details. I’m having fun putting together the lively presentation and will touch on Brisbane’s history; the architecture of the house; the restoration process, noting State tax credits; our biggest challenges; our love of hosting; and information about the grounds.
An important new project for the grounds is preparing the documents to create a conservation easement for most of the acreage. We’re doing this in conjunction with the Prairie Enthusiasts, which manages the neighboring land, thanks to our neighbor Sue Steinmann and her late husband, Bill Weege. The goal is to restore most of the woods to oak savannah. This will protect the whippoorwills and other fragile species that thrive in this setting. Guests will be able to more easily explore the woods and it will be visually connected to the adjacent property, which includes over 200 acres of land already cared for by the Prairie Enthusiasts. Getting everything in order will be a big job!
April 1, 2024 marked the third anniversary of the purchase of Brisbane House! I am just as in love with it now as I was that first day. Last week, since the weather has been warmer than usual, we had an outdoor work party where four friends of ours helped us rake fallen branches from the lawn; rake the gravel from the grass (thanks snowplow); clear dead wood from the woods behind the lilac bushes; clear the flower beds; mulch the back path to the porch, and touch up the gas tank and paint the mailbox post with (the beloved color) November Storm stain. After all that was done, we sat down to a delicious early supper of coq au vin blanc, smashed and roasted potatoes, bitter green salad, and fresh madeleines. If you missed out, there will be future work parties to keep on top of the garlic mustard!
Speaking of year three, it was time to take down the last third of the old growth lilacs. Many of what remained had snapped and fallen due to the weight of the snow and the age of the wood. Now we’re seeing lots of new shoots with leaf-buds. I hope they will grow into a beautiful new stand of lilacs.
