The history of this old building is sketchy at best. The land was recorded on the deed several times prior to 1855, when suddenly the value went up tremendously. We assume that somewhere about that time the local farmers came together and built a cheese cooperative. Note the pictures from the early years and into the 20's. The building was in the design of many built in Wisconsin during the 1800's. You can still see some of these as you drive through Wisconsin... they were as common as the one room school houses that still dot the landscape. One thing that Oak Lawn had going for it, was that it was built into a hillside. There are some in the area that have the basement level above ground, which would have limited design possibilities when the building was reassigned as a home. The building always contained living quarters (mostly small rooms, now opened up) and a large warehouse was also on the first floor. Cheese making, cutting rooms, and boiler rooms were all on the basement level.
This old cheese factory went by many different names over the years, including for a time, Oak Lawn. Generally it was known by the cheese maker's last name, as was the case when we purchased it in 1972. When I decided to return to the Oak Lawn name, I quickly realized that there wasn't a single oak tree in the lawn, or the neighborhood, for that matter! In fact, the total extent of trees and shrubbery included four sickly siberian elms, two box elders of ill repute, three persian lilacs, and two beauty bushes (kolkwitzia amabilis). Alas- no partridge in a pear tree, but an occasional pheasant in the thistly field. All of the original trees and shrubs were removed early on as they became more sickly, until we ended up with a clean slate from which the landscaping could evolve through the years. About 25 years ago, after adding more property from the pasture next door, I installed 25 quercus robur fastigiata or upright english oaks, as well as a scarlet oak and a bur oak... yes, in the lawn! At last the old name made sense! The plantings are still evolving and changing. Every other year I end up doing significant pruning and thinning plants that have overgrown their place. This past summer I removed 25 large pick up truck loads of prunings, trees, and shrubs.
The building was in tough condition in 1972, to say the very least. The size had been increased by about a third over the years, and that portion was in extreme need of repair, with a foundation caving in and extensive rot in the wooden shingled roof. One of our first projects was to remove all the added portions and return to the lines of the original building. The $14,000 we paid for "This Old Wreck" may seem cheap by today's standards, but believe me, we paid way too much! The remaining building now has 272 feet of exterior wall. I have, over the years, torn out approximately one half of that amount and replaced sills and started from "open air".
It has been a special privilege over the years to come into contact with people associated with Oak Lawn through the generations. The last cheese maker was from Switzerland and apparently this was a summer gathering spot for children in the family. We have met folks from all over the United States who say they spent wonderful summers here. We even had a gentleman in his 80's from Switzerland, who spoke no english. He was still in the employ of the Swiss government at the time, teaching age old techniques of painting on wooden furniture. Another elderly lady told the story of a little girl friend of hers who died and she remembered the coffin being carried down our front walk. After all is said and done, old buildings, gardens, and glass are really about people and the connections we make... the friendships we establish, and concern for one another. Oak Lawn Cheese Factory and Gardens has really been a means to that end for us. We continue to meet wonderful people, many of whom we consider friends. As I continue to blog about gardens and glass, I will upon occasion, include a posting on how this place developed through the years. We are very thankful that our God has blessed us with such a wonderful life here in the Wisconsin countryside. Until next time...LC
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