HomeMy WebLinkAbout716 E. Irving Historic Plaque Application AttachmentsOur house, originally numbered 219 Irving Ave, began construction in 1935 and concluded in
1936. It was commissioned by Reuben Koeser for his wife, mother-in-law, and himself. Reuben
worked at Buckstaff Furniture as a salesman who specialized in coffins. Reuben’s
mother-in-law, Caroline Rosenkranz, was a daughter of a pioneer family who came to Oshoksh
in the 1860s. She died in 1954 at the age of 94 in the bedroom now occupied by my eldest
daughter. In 1957 Reuben died of a heart attack. He was getting out of his car in our driveway,
had the attack, and was found moments later by the mailman. The house was subsequently
sold to James Berry, then Robert Kosanke in 1976, Shawn James in 1991, and then us in 2013.
This house is a superb example of Tudor Revival. Several features on display indicative of this
style include: a steeply pitched roof with multiple overlapping sections, a tall chimney,
front-facing gables, a facade entirely covered with brick and stone, lead paned mullioned
windows, a fortress style arched front door, and arched walkways throughout the interior of the
home.
The history of the interior of the home is one of, shall we say, unfortunate trends. The
homeowners after Reuben passed all put their own spin on interior decorating. This house had
the misfortune of the floors getting covered with carpet, walls covered with wallpaper, and the
doors and windows being painted. Since buying the house we have worked year over year to
restore the house to what we expect its original beauty would have been. All carpet has been
removed (excepting a runner up the stairs) and the original hardwood floors have been restored,
all wallpaper has been removed (excepting one lovely room), and fresh plaster has rejuvenated
the walls.
Within the next three years, I intend to replace the roof and I will likely seek historic tax credits
for the project. I will also be stripping paint and restoring the wood windows and frames with
stain and finish appropriate for the wood. Unrelated to the architecture of the house, but
relevant to the style akin to the original owners, I have been and will continue to be ripping out
overgrown bushes around the house and replacing that lazy landscaping with flowering
perennials in cottage style gardens. Two of the four sides of our house have been restored in
this fashion thus far with plans to do the west wall in 2022.
In August I had the privilege of meeting with Orin Koeser, grandson of Reuben Koeser. He
came to my house and shared tons of stories about his grandparents and the history of the
house. He lives in Ohio, but was visiting Oshkosh on a pilgrimage of sorts. He and I have been
in contact since he returned home, and he assures me that he’s going through old family photo
albums to find pictures of the house from construction through the 1950s. When those photos
are delivered to me I will scan and share them with the commission.