Joseph J. Stoner House

01/07/2021

❄️❄️ A hoar frost morning in Madison. ❄️❄️

10/31/2020

Happy Halloween from #13 on the list. Boo!

Published in The Wisconsin State Journal, Friday, October 13, 2006.

10/08/2020

It’s Stoner House Painting Day!

09/18/2020

Roof day! Yay!

09/17/2020

New porch boards and railings on the front of Stoner House. Looking good!

09/09/2020

Dear Tony in Ocilla, Georgia:
Why?


Ocilla-Irwin Chamber of Commerce ;)

11/02/2019

10/31/2019

Just another eventful night at home.

AIA Wisconsin staff had a special viewing of Ghost Travelers - LCPG's Stoner House investigation. Great job Pat and PJ!

10/31/2019

"subsequent tenants in the Stoner house reported being haunted"

In 1983, Madison Newspapers, Inc. gave the Wisconsin Architects Foundation the Joseph J. Stoner house. The house, an imposing two-story sandstone Italianate structure built in 1855, is located at 321 South Hamilton Street. Named a Madison landmark in 1973 and listed on the National Register of Histo...

10/31/2019

In 1967, within his first year of ownership of Stoner House, David Tennesen removed the beautiful 2-story balcony that overlooked Lake Monona. It was said to have been removed due to poor condition.

The choice not to rebuild the balcony might have been due to the cost. But more likely, it was due to lack of projected use; as Tennesen rented out the building to several law firms rather than residing in the house. The balcony, a more “homely” comfort, may not have been seen as a necessity or a profitable commodity during Tennesen’s time.

It was around 1983 that the back porch was rebuilt, as part of the renovation efforts, which happened after the building was donated to the Wisconsin Architects Foundation by Madison Newspapers, Inc.

10/31/2019

Kitchen Chaos
In 1915, Thomas Regan died, leaving Stoner House, which he owned since 1887, to his daughters. Five years later, under their ownership the kitchen was moved from the basement to the first floor.

The deed then changed ownership three times in the following three years.

Eventually, the kitchen was relocated back to basement of Stoner House. However, Stoner House was moved 100 feet from its original location in 1984. So, the kitchen is not in its original location despite the move back to the basement level. 👩‍🍳

10/11/2019

Built in 1855, Stoner House was named after its 1865 resident, Joseph J. Stoner. The Hamilton Street residence was bought by Stoner for $3,000. This purchase made Stoner the first recorded resident of the house.

The ten-year gap of residency is not due to lack of records or vacancy, but rather an abundance of records, which prevents historical accuracy on the topic of ‘true’ ownership. Stoner House was even filed on two different sets of taxes in the 1856-1857 year, as well as a short 9-day ownership on the part of W.B. Jarvis.

Multiple newspapers listed H. B. Staines as the owner in 1855. Despite these reporting’s, records indicate that it was actually acquired by the Staines in 1856 by Janet Staines, the wife of H.B. Staines.

Mortgage records indicate Staines remained the owners until 1858 when the house was sold to H. McFarland for only $514, a severe drop from the recorded $3,607.95 that the Staines paid. The change in ownership and value was most likely due to the 1857 economy crash.🏡