Bringing the Tallman House back to life
On the agenda
The Janesville City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Monday in City Hall, 18 N. Jackson St.
Items on the agenda include:
-- A review of the Lincoln-Tallman House five-year conditions report and business plan.
-- A request to permanently waive the $525 special-event fee and the $1,600 equipment fee for the Janesville Farmers Market.
-- Action to buy and demolish a structure at 410 N. Pearl St. and to buy and renovate a structure at 808 W. Holmes St.
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Photo
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The Lincoln-Tallman House in Janesville is the focus of a proposed five-year business plan being proposed to the Janesville City Council.
Photo Gallery
JANESVILLE — A city committee charged with creating a business plan for the Lincoln-Tallman House believes it is possible to increase attendance by 40 percent over five years.
The committee will ask the Janesville City Council on Monday to accept the proposed five-year business plan.
Suggestions include renting the house for weddings and business events, hiring a part-time event coordinator and building a catering kitchen in the carriage barn.
The Tallman House is a museum run by the Rock County Historic Society and owned by the city. Buildings on the grounds include the carriage barn, which, along with the house, needs extensive repairs, and the Wilson-King Stone House.
Admission revenue from the house has declined from a peak of $30,028 in 2001 to a low of $10,031 in 2009.
The council wants the society to increase attendance—especially repeat visits—to lower the city subsidy. In 2009, the city gave the historical society a $50,000 subsidy and another $2,545 for maintenance.
The committee also was asked how to best accomplish extensive repairs to the exterior of the Tallman House. That committee broke into two subcommittees.
"I think that the committee did a pretty good job at looking at all the issues," Brad Cantrell, community development director, said.
"They really spent a lot of time and effort and went into some detail...to really make (the Tallman House) more of a community facility rather than just a house museum."
The business plan subcommittee interviewed directors of successful house museums. The goal is to encourage events "that make the home more alive and that ties it back into the community," Cantrell said.
The committee said such events could increase attendance by about 40 percent over five years.
The artifacts and buildings must be protected even as greater access to the public is allowed, according to the committee report. The city subsidy can be reduced but not eliminated, members concluded.
The goal could be accomplished by:
-- Increasing advertising and marketing, especially by encouraging repeat visits and group tours.
-- Renting portions of the house for small business meetings, weddings and receptions.
-- Renovating the carriage barn to include a prep kitchen to cater gatherings in the house and on the grounds. Estimated cost: $280,000. Estimated revenue: $14,000.
-- Increasing the number of events to be conducted and hosted on the grounds. Estimated revenue: $65,000.
-- Hiring a part-time employee to coordinate events and write grants. Estimated cost: $25,000.
-- Expanding programming and establishing four fundraising activities on the grounds each year. Events could include the Tallman Art Festival, holiday tours, Mother's Day and Father's Day activities, antique shows, picnics and concerts on the lawn, appraisal fairs, dinner parties and wine tastings.
-- Partnering with other community organizations such as Rotary Gardens, the Janesville Concert Association, the Beloit-Janesville Symphony and the library to organize events such as heirloom gardening programs, summer lawn concerts and exhibits inspired from popular books.
-- Improving the website and using free social media outlets such as Facebook to develop a base of supporters.
-- Developing specialty merchandise related to the Tallman House.
-- Moving the archives and collections out of the Stone House and into a renovated Charles Tallman House, 430 N. Jackson St. Rent the Stone House to another non-profit for revenue.
Some other costs include adding lighting to the home, $5,000; buying an accessible lift, $15,000; renovating the bathrooms, $30,000; and adding signs, $2,000.
Tallman House repair costs lowered but still high
Renovations to the Lincoln-Tallman House could cost half of what an architect estimated last year.
Original estimates put total repairs at $3.39 million. The revised estimate is $1.76 million, a committee recently estimated. The committee was charged by the Janesville City Council with devising a plan on how to best go about the renovations. It will make its report to the council on Monday,
A collapsing privy wall, for example, was repaired for $8,500 rather than for the architect's estimate of $32,500. The wall needed immediate repair, as did the roof, which received a temporary fix. The council put the rest of the repairs on hold, waiting for the recommendations of the committee.
Major conditions threatening the building include:
-- A leaning retaining wall.
-- Eroding mortar joints.
-- Peeling paint.
-- Rotting ornamental woodwork.
-- Rotting soffits and brackets.
-- Chronic leaking of the gutters.
-- A roof that needs replacing.
The most significant cost difference came when the committee decided to replace the roof with a red prefinish metal roof instead of a red-painted copper roof.
A structural engineer also did not believe the basement wall mortar joints needed repair because the foundation is structurally sound. Solving the water drainage issues around the outside of the building should reduce or eliminate an efflorescence problem, as well, he said.
The committee recommended that the council approve the exterior improvements according to priority over multiple years. It also urged the city to seek money from trusts and foundations. The committee believes the city still will have to commit to covering a minimum of half of the improvement costs.
The city has $310,000 available from previous borrowing for Lincoln-Tallman House improvements. The committee recommends that the city borrow at least $500,000 in 2010 and $60,000 in 2011 to start repairs. It also recommends a private fundraising campaign.
"The committee believes that an early, substantial public commitment to the project may facilitate interest and support from trusts and foundations," according to the report.
The committee recommends that improvements to the carriage house on the grounds be made at the same time.
Apr 26, 2010 at 11:08 a.m.
Suggest removal
"The most significant cost difference came when the committee decided to replace the roof with a red prefinish metal roof instead of a red-painted copper roof."
This was a suggestion I talked about. It doesn't HAVE TO BE copper again!! It doesn't change history that is was ONCE copper. If it is painted over what is the point anyway. Maybe in those times copper was the lessor cost option. NOW it is not!
Get some other bids from other people as well!!
I have a friend that somebody told them they needed a BRAND NEW roof or he could "get by" with thousands of dollars in "temporary repair". Well somebody else looked at it and said it was fine. It needed some very inexpensive patching and all set for a LONG time, A VERY long time before a NEW one was needed!!
bill6328- city wants to spend millions on a NEW ice rink that only serves 1000 on weekends sometimes. This is less money for something we ALREADY own and need to keep up. Just like the ice arena. FIX what you have.
I agree open it up to more events!
To have your wedding on these grounds would be so cool!! An Anniversary party on the grounds, again very cool.
nomoreres- I agree $285k for the kitchen sounds insane. They need some tables. A few large fridges and a couple stoves/ovens maybe. It can be catored by other compainies. They don't need the whole set up to cook right there. You would need a couple prep sinks maybe. I am sure it is code to have a sink.Caterers take their dirty dishes with them! All the hot food is in large carriers to keep it hot until it is time to serve.
SarahB1- It would be cool to stay over night. they would need to fix a lot of code issues first though. It is not safe for people to go on third floor right now. They would need rest rooms and the lighting fixed as they mentioned.
I was always under the impression that the underground railroad went from here to the Milton House. I have also head the only tunnel was from the carriage house to the big home.
Apr 26, 2010 at 12:55 a.m.
Suggest removal
Wis_family. I've often heard that, but when I researched it myself the reasons given to me for why it was not a part of the underground railroad didn't add up.
For instance some of the reasons would also exclude the Milton House and the Church downtime as being a part of the underground railroad.
Also- I know it doesn't mean its true but it has been published in at least one non-fiction book that it was part of the underground railroad.
Apr 25, 2010 at 9:14 p.m.
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To let it erode away is foolish. We are the only country in the world that believes in a throwaway economy. Look at Europe, all kinds of old buildings. It needs someone to generate ideas to make more money, not just handouts from the city. The kitchen is a stupid idea!
Apr 25, 2010 at 8:36 p.m.
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Oh my gosh - Lincoln was 56 years old when he died which meant that he slept somewhere over 20,000 nights. Does spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a building just because he *slept* there on one of those nights really make a difference? I mean, it's not like this is where he gave a great speech or signed important legislation into law. If enough people want to spend money to tour this house for whatever reason, then a business man or woman will be able to make it work. If not, well...
Apr 25, 2010 at 4:36 p.m.
Suggest removal
Perhaps This Old House would be interested in the project, along with donations from Home Depot, Menards, ABC Supply and other generous businesses, could make this project more affordable for the local tax payers.
Apr 25, 2010 at 1:30 p.m.
Suggest removal
It wasn't part of the Underground Railroad. I get that the economics don't add up, but we need to find the money here! The building Lincoln spoke in downtown is gone. This is the ONLY private residence that Lincoln stayed at in Wisconsin, and it is here. We should embrace it and pull together to fix it.
Apr 25, 2010 at 12:57 p.m.
Suggest removal
I'm sure all the streets pot-holes will be fixed before they spend this kind of money.
Apr 25, 2010 at 12:54 p.m.
Suggest removal
These guys would be laughed off the TV show "Shark Tank". Spend lots of money to make small money...I doubt they would be playing with their own money like this. "Forward Janesville"!
Apr 25, 2010 at 11:39 a.m.
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I am originally from Janesville, but have not resided there for many years. It is difficult to understand why anyone would be interested in spending $280,000 for a kitchen that would generate $14,000 (I assume per year). That's not profit, that's just sales and doesn't include food cost, staffing, training, etc. I'm confident that there are many, many caterers in the area who already have the necessary equipment and staff to provide the food service. Even though I don't live there anymore I hate to see money wasted. This is really pretty simple stuff. You really need someone with an understanding of food service to do a feasibility study or offer it out to contract to numerous caterers for bids.
Apr 25, 2010 at 10:53 a.m.
Suggest removal
As long as government officials or groups that are used to receiving hand-outs run this venture, this will continue to be a money-losing project. Sell it to a business concern that will use their skills to market this thing for what it's worth. Contact the operators of either the Pontiac convention center or Holiday Inn Express who know how to host groups and will be able to determine whether this property is feasible to turn a profit, or at least break even. Don't blame them, but government officials are not trained to run a business, so let those that are already successful have a chance to make this work. Just don't let Jim Grafft get a hold of it. Then it will fall apart.
Apr 25, 2010 at 10:35 a.m.
Suggest removal
Let's have a 'save the old house' fund that Rock County citizens can sign up for. Take the amount of money needed and divide it by the number of idiots that sign up. Add that amount to their property tax bills. The idiots can have a pass to visit the old house anytime it is open. The rest of us can pay admission, or join the idiot list in future years. Problem solved.
Apr 25, 2010 at 7:49 a.m.
Suggest removal
Why don't they market it as part of the underground railroad?
Apr 25, 2010 at 5:51 a.m.
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There is a need to save Tallman House.
Apr 25, 2010 at 12:34 a.m.
Suggest removal
Spend $1.8 M on an asset that yields $10K/yr?
Who is the genius behind this kind of thinking?
Maybe an ex employee of Lehman Brothers or AIG.
OK, big deal, it's historic because of Abraham Lincoln. I see the Talman House as just an old building, trying to fall down but "antiquity buffs" refuse to let it happen.
Make the place pay its own way or tear it down, but spend millions....why? Especially with the needs of people in Janesville on the increase every day.
Apr 25, 2010 at 12:24 a.m.
Suggest removal
Tear it down and sell the property to Mercy Hospital for another parking lot.
Apr 24, 2010 at 11:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
Cock and serve?
Apr 24, 2010 at 11:14 p.m.
Suggest removal
Make it a weekend bed & breakfast and let people stay in the main house. Cock and serve period meals 4-8 times per year. Do murder-mystery weekends. USE IT! It won't fly on tour admissions alone, and the deep-pocket donations are all but gone.
Apr 24, 2010 at 8:09 p.m.
Suggest removal
There are serious dangers in renovating unique, historic structures such as the Carriage Barn and the Stone House. Landmark status could be revoked. It is ironic that the city is considering this at the same time as strengthening the historic district overlay ordinance.
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