Evansville Grove Society, Inc.

09/30/2026

09/22/2026

We are excited to have Luminaria back in Cooksville for another truly enchanting evening of harp and vocals!

09/22/2026

The Grove Society hosted an amazing group of women for lunch at the Historic Baker Building today. Our guests were eight retired ladies, formerly employees of Baker Manufacturing. Collectively, they put in 312 years of employment with Baker. The shortest was 15 years and the longest at 50 years belongs to Geri Knapp, who was not able join the group today.

They get together on a regular basis and when we found out about their group we thought it only fitting that they get together in the Historic Baker Building. The dined on Domino's Pizza and treats provided by the Grove Society. They had a wonderful, lively time and we enjoyed hosting them.

When we asked them if Baker Manufacturing was a good employer they responded, "well, we were all there a long time."

Pictured (years of service in parentheses) are: Becky Larson (38), Debby Jorgensen (25), Jan Brewer (36), Pat Peckham (15), Judy Braetzke (35), Norma Bjugstad (30), Janice Johnston (41), and Linda Thompson (42).

Thanks, ladies! Spending time with you was a lot of fun!

09/20/2026

Yesterday's Historic House Tour was a huge success!!!! Despite the rain, people from far and wide as well as our Evansville neighbors came out to see the houses featured on the tour. We heard lots of positive feedback from our guests. They loved seeing and learning about the history of the homes and some of the people who lived in them.

To our homeowners who graciously opened their homes:
Jan Taylor & David Ulma
John & Kim Otto
Norman Barker
Pat Carr
Wally Shannon

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Without you none of this would have happened!

To Jim Richter for his drawing of the five homes, which created the beautiful backdrop for our advertising campaign.

To our army of volunteers staffing the five homes and helping set up and tear down. So many guests remarked on how nice, helpful, and well-versed many of you were on the houses.

To Jordan Calley of Cherry St. Sweets for selling her wonderful treats during the tour. We hope your business grows beyond your wildest dreams! Check out her oatmeal cream pies…they’re to die for!

To Glenn Watson and Mo Willoh for portraying Dr. and Mrs. Evans. People loved your performance!

Most of all, a heartfelt thanks to our House Tour Steering Committee who spent many hours planning the event: Ruth Ann Montgomery, Marsha Dobbs, Dottie Dykstra, Marcia Kremer, Arthur McEvoy, Chris Eager, and Norm Barker. A special shout out goes to Dottie Dykstra who went above and beyond to make the tour happen.

This event was a great example of neighbors coming together and working together for the benefit of the whole community. These things require effort from everybody, but the good they do is priceless. Thank you!

We’re still sorting out ticket sales and rounding up pictures which we’ll share in the near future.

09/17/2026

Look! We finally have our name on the Historic Baker Building!

Many years ago the Grove Society's name graced the Baker Building, but at some point the front transom window was broken and the name never restored. Well, it's here now and we hope it stays a long time. Look for it when you drive by the Baker Building.

Many thanks to Glenn Watson with Duck Soup Signs & Design for working with us to get the job done!

09/09/2026

The 5th and final house tour article is now available to read on grovesociety.org. Learn about the history of the Harley A. Smith house located at 112 Grove Street. It's style, location, and landscaping radiate charm from top to bottom!

https://www.grovesociety.org/historic-house-tour-2026-harley-a-smith-house/

The Harley A. Smith House at 112 Grove Street is a fine example of Tudor Revival architecture, which became popular in the United States after World War I. It has a poured concrete foundation, exterior walls made of brick and so-called “weeping” mortar, and a steeply pitched, multi-gable roof wi...

09/07/2026

Historic House Tour article #4 is now available to read on The Grove Society's website.

The house at 224 W. Church Street, owned by Pat Carr, has been under renovation for quite a while. We're especially excited to have this house on the tour because it is a great example of blending old and new while preserving the historical and architectural character of the home. We've seen it and it's a stunner!

09/06/2026

The 2026 Historic House Tour is two weeks away! As far as we can tell, the last time a house tour was held in Evansville was in 2003. The Evansville Grove Society is excited to bring it back after 23 years. Evansville has some of the best historic homes in Wisconsin and we’re proud to collaborate with the owners to show them off!

Planning has been in the works for a while now and our five homeowners have been busily preparing their homes for guests. Articles detailing each house’s history can be found on grovesociety.org. Three articles are there now. The rest will be posted within the week. We are grateful to Ruth Ann Montgomery for sharing her research and past articles and for proofreading our work. She is absolutely the best!

Evansville Community Theatre members will be at Evans Hall, re-enacting scenes between Dr. Evans and his wife. We’re told the scripts are well done and quite humorous. Sweet treats and drinks will be available for sale on First Street between Evans Hall and The Tower House.

After the tour, head over to Yard Fest sponsored by Wally Shannon, Susan Becker, and Mo Willoh. The event, located at 245 Garfield Avenue (Wally’s house), is family-friendly and free to the public.

House Tour tickets are available online at grovesociety.org or in person at the Baker Building Museum, 15 Antes Drive, Saturdays from 1- 4 PM, and at the Chamber of Commerce during regular business hours. Tickets may also be purchased the day of the tour on First Street between the Tower House and Evans Hall; both houses are on the tour. We hope to see you there! All proceeds from the tour will be used to support the Grove Society’s mission to discover, keep, and share Evansville’s story.

09/04/2026

House Tour Article #3: 44 W. Main Street – The Tower House

Check out the latest house tour article about 44 W. Main Street. While collaborating with Ruth Ann Montgomery to write the article, we had the good fortune of getting the home’s abstract from the current owner, Jan Taylor. It turns out the original homeowner is not who we thought it was. Intrigued?

https://www.grovesociety.org/historic-house-tour-2026-campbell-combs-tower-house/

We hope to see you on the tour on September 19th!

The Campbell-Combs house at 44 West Main Street is a highly distinctive Late Victorian structure originally built in 1881. Also known as The Tower House for its square, steeple-shaped tower, the home is an example of so-called “stick-style” architecture, which added trim boards, soffits, gables,...

08/31/2026

The 2026 Historic House Tour is fast approaching! Below are links to articles about the history of two of the homes on the tour: Evans Hall 104 W. Main Street and the Baker/Otto Home at 39 W. Liberty Street.

Watch for articles about the houses at 44 W. Main Street, 112 Grove Street, and 224 W. Church Street.

https://www.grovesociety.org/historic-house-tour-2026/

https://www.grovesociety.org/historic-house-tour-2026-baker-otto-house/

We hope to see you on the Tour!

The house at 39 West Liberty Street is a marvelous example of Italianate design, inspired by 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which first appeared in England at the beginning of the nineteenth century and became very popular in the United States from the late 1840s to the 1890s. The Ev...