Yawkey House Museum
Restoration Slideshow

Background

The house was built in 1900 - 1901 in the Classical Revival style for Cyrus and Alice Yawkey. Designed by the Milwaukee architects Henry Van Ryn and Gerrit de Gelleke, it features large ionic columns and a pedimented portico. Only eight years after the house was built, the Yawkeys hired George W. Maher to remodel. The first floor was completely remodeled, a two story addition was added to the back, and a sun porch was added to the east side of the house. In 1974, the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Originally from Michigan, the Yawkeys moved to northern Wisconsin in 1889 when Cyrus joined with his uncle and a business partner from the Yawkey and Lee Lumber Company. A town was founded by the venture and Alice Yawkey named it Hazelhurst due to the abundance of hazelnut trees in the area. Ten years later, in 1899, the Yawkeys moved to Wausau where Cyrus was the uncontested leader of the Wausau Group. The Wausau Group was composed of wealthy lumbermen who pooled their resources in hopes of improving Wausau's economy as the logging industry was dying in the area. They founded several businesses, utility companies and the first paper mill in the area (Wausau Paper Mills in Brokaw).

Cyrus Yawkey died in 1943, and Alice continued living in the house until her death in 1953. Their only child, Leigh Yawkey Woodson, and her daughters presented the house to the Marathon County Historical Society in 1954.

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The restoration of the Yawkey house, carriage house and formal gardens was completed in May 2008. The house was restored following the blueprints of a 1907/08 remodeling of the house by architect, George Maher. The interior is interpreted to reflect a 1915 time period.

Tickets for tours can be purchased at the Marathon County Historical Society offices located at 410 McIndoe Street. Guided tours are held on the hour with the last tour at 3:00 p.m. Please see our hours below for more information.

Please call our office at 715-842-5750 to arrange for group tours.