The Meeme House: A Restoration Journey
The Meeme House, circa 1910
The story of the Meeme House begins in Germany with the Herr family. In 1847 brothers Michael and Andreas, along with their widowed father Karl, immigrated from Alzenau, Bavaria, to Wisconsin. In 1850, Michael is recorded as being a laborer in Kenosha and Andreas is listed as a farmer in Racine.
The family journeyed north into Manitowoc County where Andreas and Michael both purchased property along the Green Bay Road in the township of Meeme, approximately one mile south of the village of Spring Valley. The Herr family owned the property until about 1905.
In 1909, area farmer Joseph Schwartz and his wife, Minnie (Wasmer) purchased the Meeme House from Peter DeGroot.
After Joe's death in 1947, his wife Minnie ran the tavern until 1955. The Meeme House Tavern was then passed on to their daughter, Valeria, and become well known as Sessler's Meeme House.
In 2013, the building was purchased by the Manitowoc County Historical Society. In 2013, our Manitowoc County Historical Society purchased what was commonly known as Sessler’s Meeme House, located off of Pioneer Road in the township of Meeme. We had 6 weeks to raise the needed funds to purchase the property—and with the generous support of our community, we did it!
By November, public open houses were held to share our vision for the restoration effort—followed by the early stages of demo (aka—removing layers to find the original and historic features).
In December, 2013 the iconic front porch was removed—using all Ford trucks. This video won the Historical Society a Ford promotion where we were ‘gifted’ a two year lease on a new Ford truck. With no need for a truck lease, we were able to turn that promotion and lease into funds to assist with the project.
After sharing our story, collecting donations, and selling over 200 paper feet (that cost $2 each because what is what is cost approximately to move the structure one foot), we were able to raise almost $200,000 to make the historic move possible. A new foundation was poured in August, 2015. The roof of the structure was removed in February, 2017.
On October 13, 2017, the Meeme House structure was at its new home—as part of Pinecrest Village. Upon its historic move to become a part of Pinecrest Village, a massive restoration effort began to unfold. Due to issues during its relocation, the building sustained massive damage and many additional and unexpected repairs were needed.
On August 3, 2018, the Meeme House roof was reinstalled. Massive restoration efforts continued both inside and outside the historic building. In partnering with Legacy Architecture and Hamann Construction, work continued to bring the Meeme House back to life. This massive, $1.5 million project has been made possible by our incredible donors and volunteers. Thank you!
Explore areas of the Meeme House:
The Bar Room
The bar is the centerpiece of this German establishment. It was a gathering place for locals and travelers alike to quench their thirst and relate news and political turbulence of the time. Both men and women used this space, though it was dominated by men. Original photos of bars during the period are plentiful, while photos of this bar are not. The walls feature wainscot, some of which is original to the building. The wallpapers are typical of the period. The ceiling in this space was originally wallpapered in a brown pattern on a white ground. This points us to the walls most certainly being papered. The bar was located upstairs upon the Manitowoc County Historical Society’s purchase of the building. Close examination determines the bar is constructed of the same wainscot as the original bar room walls. Though it is impossible to know for certain, it’s likely the very first bar to occupy this space.
The Store
Herr’s Store served its community and travelers on the Green Bay Road as the business center of the whole establishment. Like most stores in the mid-19thcentury, Herr’s store carried a variety of supplies and treats. As the mail coach passed, it picked up and dropped off mail and packages. Michael Herr becamethe official postmaster in 1887. Travelers and locals could get on and off of the coach as needed. Michael Herr was the only proprietor at Meeme to run the store. Neither his son or later owners kept up this part of the business.
The Parlor
Public parlors are a staple of an establishment like Meeme. Taverns, hotels, and stage stops alike included a place for people to gather comfortably. Public parlors were also gathering places for social events, small meetings, and funerals. The Parlor had little left of how it was originally finished. The wallpaper used here is typical of the period, circa 1850-1870s, and appropriate for the space.
The Dining Room
The Dining Room served a variety of travelers on the Green Bay Road as well as those attending evening events in the Hall upstairs. Stage line schedules reveal that Meeme was likely a lunch stop. Stages left Sheboygan for Manitowoc on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays making a return trip on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Patrons were served family style meals at a cost ranging from 5 cents to 25 cents. Mrs. Herr, her daughters, and occasionally a hired girl, did all the cooking, bussing, and clean up. This room is finished with a wallpaper typical of the period, circa 1850-1870s, with white crown molding. The ceiling is stenciled in a pattern identical to the original wallpaper found under layers of ceilings.
The Storeroom and ‘George’s room’
The 1860 census shows the residents of the Meeme House as the Herr Family, a hired hand, and George Lochner, a boot and shoe maker native to Bavaria. In 1860 he was 40 years old - old enough to have trained as a Boot and Shoe Maker in a guild in Bavaria. By the mid-nineteenth century work as a shoe maker had evaporated. It is likely that George worked as a cobbler (shoe repair man) and repaired harness, using a portion of the Herr establishment to set up shop and sleeping quarters. George worked in the area, and by 1880 was settled in Centerville. When George moved on, the rooms behind the store where used for storage.
The Hall
Herr’s Hall was, and will be again, a community center. In the event of an excess of overnight guests, the floor could be used as sleeping space for bedrolls to be rolled out. A majority of the time, the Hall was used for town meetings and for other clubs and organizations such as the Gibbons Circle, the Dairymen, and Library Association. Dances and balls were a common occurrence in the Hall, including the occasional play when the traveling troupe was passing though. The Herr’s held dances for New Year’s, the Forth of July, St. Patrick’s day, and more.
The Stage
One of the most notable aspects of the Meeme House is the structure’s second floor. It consists of three small lodging rooms, an open hall, and a stage area.
The hall was a popular space at the Meeme House. It was used for community conversations, family gatherings, New Year’s dances, St. Patrick’s Day festivities, library fundraisers, cheese makers meetings, political gatherings—and so much more! The stage section was an addition to the main structure. It is believed that this was added around the year 1890.
The stage includes a canvas stage curtain adorned with a painting of a rural landscape. A pair of Moorish columns are present in the foreground, while a small bridge straddles a stream leading back into a mountain range. The mountain denotes the Swiss Alps in a German countryside, while painted details such as the tasseled teaser along the top of the canvas, and a butterfly curtain (popular through the 1870's and 90's) date the mural from the late 1890's to the early 1900's. Behind this cover, the stage consists of several sliding canvas panels stretched over wooden frames with painted woodland scenes. All original stage pieces were removed and re-installed during the restoration.
The Green Bay Road and the Stage
The Green Bay Road was established by the United States government in the 1830s as a means to move troops from Fort Dearborn in Chicago to Fort Howard in Green Bay in times when traveling by ship was not possible. The road was laid out by the Army Corp of Engineers, cleared to a 30’ width for ease of travel. The road saw all types of travel and is still a part of our road systems today. Coach travel was common place in the United States and Europe for centuries. Stage coach routes were charted in Wisconsin in the 1830s working their way north from Illinois. An advanced network connected towns large and small across the state. By the 1850s Manitowoc County was home to at least four routes run by the Wisconsin, Davis and Moore, and Manitowoc and Fond du Lac Stage Companies. It is likely there are more yet to be discovered. Stage routes gave way to rail lines until the stages stopped running. The latest documented stage coach though Meeme was in 1877. The Meeme House continued to change and evolve with the needs of the times, while remaining a business establishment until its close in 2012.
Explore related structures:
The Livery
To the south of the Meeme House lies the livery barn, a 1 1/2 story, red, wooden building, whose gabled peaks lie parallel with the road. It is believed that this was the Inn's original livery stable and served to house stage teams.
The horses, cattle, and chickens played a large role in the success and livelihood for the Herr family and their predecessors.
The Michael Herr farm was originally comprised of 80 acres, 62 of which were improved and 18 remained wooded at the time of the 1870 Federal Census. Following is a list of all the property’s animals as they appeared in the 1870 manuscript:4 horses, 6 sheep, 5 milk cows, 6 swine, 5 other cows—Value of stock: $702.
At its original site, the Livery was dismantled board by board. Field stones from the foundation were collected, mortar removed, and used in the new foundation on site. While many of the livery stable boards were rotten or beyond use, over 80% of the original boards were reused in the structure’s restoration. The original horse trough can be seen inside! The livery stable was opened to the public in September, 2020.
The Poll House
The Town of Meeme polling house lies on the northern edge of the original and restored property. It was constructed by the previous proprietor Joseph Schwartz (who would later come to own the Meeme House) and Edmund Kolb in 1900.
This small, gabled structure has a rectangular plan and the gabled roof line lies perpendicular to the road. Sided with wood, the structure has a front and rear entrance; the original four-paneled front door is still present. The interior has curtained booths with shelves for voters to fill in their ballots that were then deposited in locked boxes. The voting booths, ballot boxes, original table, and Poll House sign are still intact.
In June, 2018, the Meeme Poll House was relocated to become a part of Pinecrest Village by DeVooght House Movers. The Poll House was opened to the public in August, 2020.
Restoration Photo Gallery
