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Work begins on historic Milton property

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

Troy Neale, left, and Ben Lehman of Bachmann Construction of Madison, painstakingly push epoxy filler with their fingers into cracks in the old logs at the historic Goodrich Cabin behind the Milton House.

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

Troy Neale of Bachmann Construction of Madison is seen through the gaps in two of the logs in the Goodrich Cabin as he fills holes and cracks with epoxy filler.

MILTON — Cori Olson can’t watch when the machines lift Goodrich Cabin to replace rotted logs.

“My fear is that the whole thing will collapse on my watch,” the Milton Historical Society executive director said.

That would be a tragedy for history lovers. Goodrich Cabin is connected to the Milton House Museum by a tunnel that was part of the Underground Railroad. Experts believe escaped slaves arrived at the cabin and traveled through the dark, muddy tunnel to hide in the Milton House cellar.

The historical society is raising money to restore the 172-year-old cabin. Work began in September, though the society still needs about $20,000 to complete the job.

The society already has raised about $100,000 in monetary and in-kind donations, more than it originally thought would be necessary. But as workers dive into the project, they’re finding more work that needs to be done, Olson said.

Workers from Bachman Construction, Madison, are replacing floorboards, logs and shingles. They already installed a French drainage system in the Milton House to stop storm water from running down to the cabin’s foundation.

A few of the old logs crumbled into bits when workers removed them, Olson said.

The society must be careful to use historically appropriate materials, including white-oak logs, slaked-lime mortar and hand-hewn shingles. An archaeologist examined the site before work started.

The community stepped up when the society started its capital campaign for the project in winter, Olson said. A school in Madison held a penny war, and Milton West Elementary School made a donation. A society board member, Tom Sveum, milled and donated oak logs, saving the society thousands of dollars.

Janet Hudson, a retired Milton teacher, made a sizeable donation that allowed the historical society to fully access a $44,000 matching grant from the National Park Service, Olson said.

Hudson said she has a keen interest in history and used to take her students to the Milton House and Goodrich Cabin.

“I’m at an age where if I’m ever going to give back to the community, I should be doing it now,” she said. “The community has been very good to me, and I feel like I should give something back.”

The society plans to have more fundraisers in the coming months to raise the remaining funds. Northleaf Winery is selling wine with special labels to benefit the historical society, and the society has teamed up with the Milton College Preservation Society to host benefit performances of “Dracula” later this month.

Meanwhile, Milton House staff and volunteers are using the renovation as a learning tool for visitors, especially children, Olson said.

“We want people when they come in the building to understand what the Underground Railroad is and why it’s important to save the cabin,” she said.

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You’d have to look pretty hard to find a better spot for a “Dracula” performance than the Milton College Main Hall chapel.

“The high ceilings and the chandelier and all that certainly are appealing and add a lot of atmosphere,” said Deb Williamson. “It even has a bell tower.”

Williamson and her husband own Creative Outlets Touring Theater Company, Whitewater. The company will perform “Dracula” at the college Oct. 23 and 24 to benefit the Milton College Preservation Society and Milton Historical Society.

The historical society is raising money to restore Goodrich Cabin, and the theater company was looking for a new home after performing “Dracula” for several years at Old World Wisconsin. The groups brought the college preservation society on board, and it was a match made in—well maybe not quite heaven, given the nature of the play.

The company is using a new script this year, Williamson said. The play isn’t too gory but probably isn’t appropriate for children age 10 and younger, she said.

“It’s kind of a creepy-feeling show,” she said. “It’s great for this time of year.”

Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door, and include a dessert reception, said Cori Olson, historical society executive director. The theater company, college society and historical society will split the money. Organizers hope to re-create a menu from a Halloween party once hosted at the defunct college, she said.

The hall’s chapel is on the upper floor, and the 154-year-old building doesn’t have an elevator. Volunteers will be on hand to help people up the stairs, Olson said.

This is the first joint fundraiser for the college and historical societies, but organizers hope it isn’t the last, said Judy Scheehle, administrator of the college preservation society.

“I’m just really excited about it,” she said. “It’ll be a neat event for the building.”