Knollward is a 1928 mansion in the style of a French

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin which was designed by Thomas Van Alyea for Marjorie Montgomery Ward. The home was added to the Architecture and History Inventory of the

Wisconsin Historical Society The Wisconsin Historical Society (officially the State Historical Society of Wisconsin) is simultaneously a state agency and a private membership organization whose purpose is to maintain, promote and spread knowledge relating to the history of N ...

in 1995.

History

The home in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin was designed by

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

-based architect Thomas Van Alyea and Brew City artist George Spinti III, and owned by Marjorie Montgomery Ward Baker: work was completed in 1928. It had of lake frontage on Oconomowoc's Lac LaBelle. The home is known as Knollward and it is an example of architecture in the style of a French manor house. It is a estate with 30 rooms which took the interior designers and other craftsmen 10 months to complete. An addition was built on the home when Marjorie married Robert Baker. The home has 15 bathrooms and 8 bedrooms, with one of the bathrooms featuring a dog bathtub. There is also a garage for four and one half cars.

Cyril Colnik Cyril Colnik (20 September 1871 – 25 October 1958) was a metalsmith originally from Austria sometimes called "The Tiffany of wrought iron".. He emigrated to the United States to attend the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where ...

was commissioned for the iron work in the home. On February 1, 1962, the home became a home for the aged. It was purchased for $300,000 USD and operated by the Lutheran Homes Society. The home was sold to private owners who renovated the mansion in the 1990s. In 1995 the home was added to the Architecture and History Inventory of the

(WHS) as "800 Lake Rd". The WHS refers to the home as

French provincial architecture French provincial architecture also known as French Eclectic architecture include Manor houses or chateaux homes which were built by French aristocrats beginning in the 1600s. The homes are characterized by arched doorways and symmetrically pla ...

. In 2017 the Knollward Mansion was again sold to new owners.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knollward Houses completed in 1928 Houses in Wisconsin