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Lincoln Tallman House Rock County Historical Society (RCHS) 608-756-4509 or 608-752-4519 P.O. Box 8096, 426 North Jackson Street, Janesville, WI 53546 Opens Wednesday at 9 a.m.

William Tallman was a lawyer working out east when he bought 4,476 acres of Wisconsin Territory in the late 1840s and moved his family to Janesville,Wisconsin to keep closer watch of his holdings. Construction of the home at 440 N. Jackson St. began in 1855 on a 3-acre bluff overlooking the Rock River on what was then the north edge of Janesville. High-quality materials included Milwaukee Cream City Brick, cast iron on the windows and black walnut doors with hand-carved panels. The original cost was $33,000 in gold. Additional work finished in 1870 brought the total to $42,000. The Tallman House roof outlasted even that on Monticello, one of the architects told Madge Murphy, executive director of the historical society. The terne, or tin-plated metal roof is an “incredible example of mid-19th century building technology,” according to the report.

The Lincoln -Tallman House constructed between 1855 and 1857, is a superb example of Italian Villa-style architecture. Details such as the cupola, glass entrance, porch columns, newel post, and window hoods suggest that the home's design may have been derived from designs in Samuel Sloan's The Model Architect, a classic pattern book in 1852. The house is the only building still standing in Wisconsin that Lincoln slept in, according to Madge Murphy, executive director of the Rock County Historical Society. The Tallman family donated the Tallman House to the city in 1950 on the condition that it be operated as a public museum.

Lincoln visited Janesville Oct. 1-3, 1859, a year before he was elected president. It's the only recorded time Lincoln stayed in a Wisconsin home, organizer Jim Hay said. "This is something that Janesville can hang its hat on," Hay said. "Lincoln was here, and he slept here and he worshipped here."

LINCOLN came to Rock County from Milwaukee where he had spoken at the WI STATE FAIR. William Tallman drove to Beloit and convinced Lincoln to visit Janesville and stay at the Tallman house for the evening after a speech in BELOIT. He gave a speech in JANESVILLE on Saturday, October 1, 1859. Of course, Lincoln hadn't planned to worship in Janesville. He left his boots outside his room at William Tallman's house at night, as was the custom, and didn't find them there in the morning. He missed his train because he was embarrassed to leave his room in stocking feet, so Tallman invited him to attend First Congregational with the family.

Having missed his morning train on Sunday, October 2, LINCOLN attended the Service at FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH with the Tallman family on Sunday, October 2, 1859. He then stayed overnight and caught his train to Chicago on Monday, October 3, 1859. The church that Lincoln attended was torn down in 1868, but First Congregational still meets at the same site at 54 S. Jackson St.

Tallman House Tours 440 North Jackson Street P.O. Box 8096 Janesville, 53547-8096 Phone: (608) 756-4509 or (608) 752-4519

Oct 1 - Nov 20th tours by appointment. Nov 20 - Dec 30th, tours on the hour, first tour at 10am, last tour at 3pm Jan 2 - May 31st, tours by appointment. June 1 - Sept 30th, tours on the hour, first tour at 10am, last tour at 3pm.

Adults $8.00 Seniors $7.50 Children (K-12) $4.00

Tours given on the hour. Large groups need to make an appointment so we have enough docents on hand to ensure a great tour. The last tour leaves at 3pm

Celebrating its 53rd anniversary in 2010, the Tallman Arts Festival is one of southern Wisconsin's premier outdoor fine arts festivals. The festival attracts more than 2,000 people annually to view the works of more than 50 fine artists around the region. A "must do and see" event on the summer cultural calendar, the Tallman Arts Festival offers visitors the opportunity to meet with exhibiting artists, sample local restaurant foods, enjoy live entertainment and take a walk through history at the Lincoln Tallman House.

A committee is working toward a more secure future for the Tallman House, the historic Janesville structure that some call a treasure but others say is a drain on the city budget. The Rock County Historical Society has leased the building from the city and run the museum over the years, but the city’s subsidy to the society has declined. The subsidy in 2010 will be $45,000, down from $50,000 in 2009 and $57,000 in 2008. The city also budgets $4,400 for grounds and maintenance.

The society requested the city consider a three-year lease with steady funding. The society is concerned that it could not run the museum if the subsidy falls below $45,000, Brad Cantrell, the city’s community development director, told city council members. The council recently approved a one-year lease with the possibility of a two-year extension with the same annual funding if the council approves the society’s business plan.

The committee of residents has been meeting since November to write a business plan. It also is exploring options to repair the Tallman House and put those repairs in order of priority. A consultant has said repairs could cost $2.5 million. The committee will report back to the council in March.

The 10-member committee has broken into two sub-groups, Cantrell said. So far, the facilities group has hosted the architect who conducted the conditions report and the state’s preservation architect. The group will explore different and possibly less expensive options for repair, such as a substitute for a copper roof, Cantrell said. Don’t we all wish we had a roof that lasted 150 years plus? Unbelievably, the tin roof at the Lincoln Tallman House is the original, put on before the mansion was finished in 1857. The roof is one of the things that’s so special about the structure, which wowed a team of historical experts with its lavish detail, best-of-the-best materials and state-of-the-art construction. The architects’ subsequent report was filled with such words as “superb” and exemplary.”

The architect recommends that the city “start from the top down” with the roof, then to the gutters, chimney and cupola. “He felt that preserving the structure is the most important thing, so obviously stopping any leaks and water getting through into the structure would be the most important,” Cantrell said. Much of the damage to the home has been caused by water damage. The gutters have been a problem since the house was built because it has an internal rainwater collection system, Cantrell said. The state expert said it is acceptable to put the system on the exterior of the building, which also could mean savings.

The business plan group has invited representatives from successful state museums such as the Pabst Museum in Milwaukee to talk about ways to make historic structures more accessible to the public. For instance, the historical society could allow business meetings or wedding receptions in the house, Cantrell said. Just a few weeks ago, the historical society hosted a Christmas event at the Tallman House. “They need to have more events like that to bring people in at different times of the day,” Cantrell said. The committee has also talked about getting youth involved. I really grew to appreciate how special the Tallman House and its history are. I couldn’t help but think how much Dad, a history buff, would have enjoyed the tour. So afterward, I bought a CD titled “Lives and Times, the Tallmans in a Frontier Town,” from the Rock County Historical Society. We watched the 28-minute film, which offered much of the rich history we had just heard during the tour, showed many of the home’s key artifacts and detailed Abraham Lincoln’s visit to the Tallman House before he became president.

Janesville Gazette Reporters: Greg Peck, John Eyster,Kathleen Foody,Marcia Nelesen. The Rock County Historical Society