Genesee Depot, Wisconsin
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Genesee Depot is a small
unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Waukesha County, Wisconsin Waukesha County () is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its county seat and largest city is Waukesha. Waukesha Co ...
, United States. It is in the
Town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...
of
Genesee Genesee, derived from the Seneca word for "pleasant valley", may refer to: Geographic features Canada *Genesee, Alberta, an unincorporated community United States *Genesee, California *Genesee, Colorado *Genesee County, Michigan *Genesee Co ...
, in southeastern Wisconsin between
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 ...
and
Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...
, and named for the
train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing suc ...
, or depot, of the Wisconsin and Calumet Railroad (now the
Wisconsin and Southern Railroad The Wisconsin and Southern Railroad is a Class II regional railroad in Southern Wisconsin and Northeastern Illinois currently operated by Watco. It operates former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) and Chicago ...
) that formerly served the town. Wisconsin State Highways 59 and 83 intersect in Genesee Depot.


History

Genesee Depot was founded mainly by German, Welsh, Irish, and English immigrants in the late 19th century. Stillman Smith was the first to settle in the area in the summer of 1837. In 1838 Benjamin A. Jenkins built a log cabin inn at what is now the intersection of Hwys. 59 and 83. It served travelers going to and from Milwaukee. Jenkins later built a three-story mill and wagon factory. "By the 1890s there was a grain elevator, slaughter house, two stores, blacksmith shop, shoe shop, woolen factory, post office, lumber yard, and train depot with ticket, baggage, and waiting rooms, ndstorage buildings." Genesee Depot garnered attention as a result of the
Milwaukee & Mississippi Railroad The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), often referred to as the "Milwaukee Road" , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986. The company experience ...
through the community. The Johnston Quarry was started in 1842 on what is now WI 59. It provided jobs and led to the development of business in the area. The quarry provided the stone for many Wisconsin buildings, including the
Wisconsin State Capitol The Wisconsin State Capitol, located in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor. Completed in 1917, the building is the fifth to serve as the Wi ...
, the
Milwaukee Sentinel The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently ...
building, and the early buildings for
Carroll University Carroll University is a private university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Established in 1846, Carroll was Wisconsin's first four-year institution of higher learning. History Prior to its esta ...
.


Historic sites

Many buildings in Genesee Depot are the originals from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including "the original section of St. Paul's Catholic Church (Hwy 83 & D), built in the early 1870s; the James Proctor House (Hwy 83 by bridge spanning Genesee Creek) also dating back to the 1860s, behind which stood the Genesee Woolen Mill; and the new railroad depot built in 1897 after the first one burned down. This station building was relocated slightly south of where it originally stood on Hwy 83 and currently is Mama D's Coffee shop."; this business is currently known as Mama D's Coffee Shop. The original town hall, now the Wales-Genesee Lions and Lioness Club, was built in 1912 and is on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
. Another historic site in Genesee Depot is
Ten Chimneys Ten Chimneys was the summer home and gentleman's farm of Broadway actors Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt, and a social center for American theater. The property is located in Genesee Depot in the Town of Genesee in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, Un ...
, the home of
Alfred Lunt Alfred David Lunt (August 12, 1892 – August 3, 1977) was an American actor and director, best known for his long stage partnership with his wife, Lynn Fontanne, from the 1920s to 1960, co-starring in Broadway theatre, Broadway and West End thea ...
and
Lynn Fontanne Lynn Fontanne (; 6 December 1887 – 30 July 1983) was an English actress. After early success in supporting roles in the West End, she met the American actor Alfred Lunt, whom she married in 1922 and with whom she co-starred in Broadway and We ...
, so known because among the three buildings on the site, there are ten chimneys. Lunt and Fontanne's residence in Genesee Depot was their summer home and a popular gathering place for theater people. It is decorated with original pieces and collections of the Lunts from the early 20th century. It is now open as a house museum.


Education

Magee Elementary, in the Kettle Moraine School District, serves students in grades K-5. Named after John Magee, who helped bring the railroad through Genesee Depot, the school was completed and opened in 1922. It was remodeled in 1989 to accommodate a larger enrollment, which stands at about 320 students.


Churches


St. Paul Parish

St. Paul Roman Catholic Parish, part of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, was founded in 1863. In 1961 a new church was built down the road from the original site to accommodate the growing congregation. A K-8 school was also built, and remodeled in 1997. In 2006 the second church was demolished and a new one completed in the fall of 2007.


Crossing Community Church

Crossing Community Church, the former Brandybrook Church of Wales, relocated to Genesee Depot in 2017. The church is a non-denominational Christian church located in Depot Crossing Center, connected to Mama D's and the Genesee Depot Post Office.


References

{{authority control Genesee Depot Unincorporated communities in Waukesha County, Wisconsin