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Funded Projects
"Preserving Wisconsin's history requires vision, commitment and investment. It is gratifying to be able to work with a foundation like the Jeffris Family Foundation that values and facilitates community and statewide commitment toward preserving Wisconsin's history."
George Vogt,
Director, Wisconsin Historical Society
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 Villa Louis; Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
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The scope of the Foundation's restoration projects is wide ranging. At the Villa Louis in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin and the Lincoln-Tallman House in Janesville, Wisconsin, the Foundation funded decorative arts analysis and the re-creation of historically accurate textiles and carpeting.
It has also helped to reconstruct historic and technically significant industrial machines such as the Cornell Pulpwood Stacker in Cornell, Wisconsin and the Plummer Mining Headframe near Pence, Wisconsin. "Grants provided by the Jeffris Family Foundation have served as true catalysts for local preservation projects. I have seen small non-profit organizations build local support, increase membership, and leverage donations based on the need to meet challenge grants offered by the Foundation."
Shawn Graff,
Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation
1993-1998
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 Plummer Headframe; near Pence, Wisconsin 
Pulpwood Stacker; Cornell, Wisconsin
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"Our efforts to preserve the structural elements of the Wolf House and to re-use the interior space were greatly facilitated by the noble efforts of the Jeffris Family Foundation. It was also satisfying to discover that the community of Germantown shared the Foundation's commitment to saving history from the wrecking ball."
Irene Blau,
President, Germantown Historical Society
At the Wolf House, layers of modern siding were removed to expose and restore the wattle-and-daub German fauk work structure. The interior of the Wolf House, however, was renovated with modern conveniences for use as a research center by the Germantown Historical Society.
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 Valentine Wolf House; Germantown, Wisconsin
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"We are very thankful that the Jeffris Family Foundation has provided us the opportunity to complete this important project. Without its help, we would never have attempted to undertake a project of this size. Fairlawn Mansion and Museum is vitally important to this community. We must take up the challenge to preserve it for all generations."
Margaret Ciccone,
Mayor, City of Superior, Wisconsin
The restoration and reuse projects at Fairlawn Mansion and Museum in Superior, Wisconsin and the Valentine Wolf Home in Germantown, Wisconsin are examples of brick and mortar projects the Foundation endorses. At Fairlawn, sympathetic additions were made to provide better access to the public. An egress tower and an ADA ramp were designed to blend with the historic architecture.
"Interpreting and conserving historic finishes are not inexpensive skills. Through its challenge grants, the Jeffris Family Foundation has encouraged and enabled smaller museums and historic sites to devote close attention to restoring historically accurate finishes. It has been a pleasure working with a foundation dedicated to quality preservation."
Bob Furhoff
Decorative Arts Conservator
Restoration of Interiors
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 Fairlawn Mansion; Superior, Wisconsin 
Bob Furhoff removes layers of paint to reveal
the original painted ceiling in the
library at Fairlawn Mansion 
Fairlawn Mansion Library; after restoration 
Bob Furhoff examining paint samples at Fairlawn Mansion; Superior, Wisconsin
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"Wisconsin is doubly blessed to have both significant architecture and a homegrown foundation concerned for its preservation and restoration."
Gail Caskey Winkler, Ph.D., ASID
Decorative Arts Consultant
LCA Associates
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 Lincoln-Tallman House; Janesville, Wisconsin
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The Senior Center, located in the 1902 Carnegie Library, in downtown Janesville, had outgrown its facility. Space needs and code issues forced the organization and the City of Janesville to consider moving the Senior Center to a new Facility. The Jeffris Family Foundation provided a grant that helped the City re-examine the Carnegie building and focus attention on how the history building could be renovated to revitalize the downtown and preserve a local landmark.
"The Jeffris Family Foundation's targeted grant provided an innovative approach for historic preservation. Without these funds, the future of the Janesville's Carnegie Library would have been in doubt."
Steven E. Sheiffer
City Manager, Janesville, Wisconsin
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 Janesville Senior Center
Formerly the Janesville Public Library
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"The Jeffris Family Foundation's funding was of immeasureable value to our project - the rehabilitation of Frank Lloyd Wright's Seth Peterson Cottage in Mirror Lake, Wisconsin. The matching grant… came at a time when the [Seth Peterson Cottage] Conservancy's fundraising hopes were flagging. Not only did the grant amount to one-quarter of the entire project cost, making the Jeffris Family Foundation the largest contributor, but it inspired our efforts and, in turn, inspired others to contgribute."
John Eifler
Eifler & Associates, Architects
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 Frank Lloyd Wright's Seth Peterson Cottage:
a preservation book financed by the Foundation
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The Jeffris Family Foundation provides challenge grants for preliminary studies, full restorations, and follow-up projects such as publications. For example, the Foundation funded a Historic Structures Report, long-range planning, and preservation studies for the Mineral Point Historical Society. These studies were used to formulate a professional restoration and operational plan for the Joseph Gundry House Museum in Mineral Point, Wisconsin.
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 Joseph Gundry House Museum;
Mineral Point, Wisconsin
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The intensive restoration of the historic Stoughton Opera House, located above City Hall in Stoughton, Wisconsin, included analyzing and applying 76 colors of paint. The Foundation's challenge grant was met with success by the City of Stoughton and active community support. The Opera House was reopened to the public and once again has become a center of culture and entertainment in the community.
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 Stoughton Opera House; Stoughton, Wisconsin
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The Foundation supports the efforts of preservation organizations such as Taliesin Preservation, Inc., a private, non-profit organization formed to advance the preservation of the Taliesin Estate, and its six Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings in Spring Green, Wisconsin. It issued the Taliesin Preservation, Inc. a challenge grant to restore Tan-y-deri, a house on the Taliesin Estate designed by Wright, in anticipation of opening this building to the public for the first time.
"The $50,000 challenge grant for Tan-y-deri forms an important partnership between Wisconsin's pre-eminent support of physical preservation projects and the organization charges with preserving Taliesin-one of Wisconsin's significant National Historic Landmarks."
Juli Aulik, Director
Taliesin Preservation, Inc.
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 Tan-y-deri; Spring Green, Wisconsin
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"The most significant reason to applaud the restoration of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Coach # 63 is the fact that it represents the only remaining example in the world of master artist and designer Edward Colonna's extraordinary talent applied to the decoration of a transportation vehicle. Survivals of Colonna's Art Nouveau design are rare in any venue or medium, but in Coach # 63, his touch is truly unique."Coach #63 represents the last known railroad car designed by internationally renowned Art Nouveau designer Edward Colonna
Al Louer
Senior Director, Major Gifts
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
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 Lake Shore & Western Coach
# 63 under restoration 
Interior detail of wood panel inside
Lake Shore & Western Coach # 63
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The Milton House represents the Jeffris Family Foundation's interest in funding some of the most significant and unique projects in America. The Milton House is a National Historic Landmark and is Wisconsin's only documented Underground Railroad site. It also has the distinction of being the first poured structure in the United States.
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 Milton House; Milton, Wisconsin
Erected in 1844, it is the first poured grout building in the United States and Wisconsin's only documented Underground Railroad site
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The "Little Chapel" located high on a hill in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Janesville, Wisconsin, was built circa 1900. This diminutive chapel incorporates both Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
"The Little Chapel at Mount Olivet Cemetery has been a place of solace to many people who have buried their loved ones in the cemetery. It has been a place where the bereaved have come to pray and remember. Without the generous offer of a challenge grant by the Jeffris Family Foundation this important local architectural treasure would have been lost. There was no viable means for the cemetery to restore the building to its original condition. We are very fortunate that the Jeffris Family Foundation, with its dedication to preserving architectural treasures, has provided this funding opportunity."
Thomas B. Hanlon
Director
Department of Cemeteries
Diocese of Madison
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 The Little Chapel; Janesville, Wisconsin
Circa 1900, Mount Olivet Cemetery
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The Jeffris Family Foundation
Post Office Box 650
Janesville, WI 53547-0650
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