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Impromptu Tallman tour

For those who know me, it should come as no surprise that my first tour of the Tallman House was injury-related.

Let me back up.

The United Way of North Rock County enlisted the Young Professionals to help with some chores at the Tallman House for Youth Service Day. I was busy clearing brush from the herb gardens when I got a splinter so embedded in my thumb Volunteer Coordinator Tina Love had to help me remove it. Ick. I went to wash up in the back of the Tallman House. Tina suggested that since I was already inside, I might as well have a tour.

This Saturday was the first time I'd been inside the Tallman House. It was actually pretty neat. I know a lot of people emphasize Abraham Lincoln's visit, (or, as I like to call him, "Janesville's Elvis") but the wood moldings and fixtures fascinated me. Tina opened up the shutters for our quick trip through. I love old houses, but I've never seen pocket shutters before. She showed me how other shutters folded into the woodwork along the edges of the windows. When they were completely open, they looked like part of the wall. One set of windows opened up so guests could use it as an entryway to the house.

The chandeliers were interesting, too. Most featured figures sitting near the lights and some of the figures held wands with stars.

The second floor had a cutout feature so Mrs Tallman could see who was visiting before deciding if she would receive them. This probably was a more efficient or modern way of leaving calling cards. Tina explained that the front door and the back door had different bells and Mrs Tallman could see the visitors without being seen herself. How sneaky!

I got to see the cisterns that supplied water to the house's indoor plumbing. The house seems to still hold secrets...you almost expect secret passages waiting to be discovered.

After the tour and triage, Tina and I headed back to the chives. With a little more work, those gardens will be beautiful for the season.

My family is probably going to tour the Tallman House for Fathers Day, especially since the house has some of the same banisters and railings as our family's farmhouse. That's a big draw for the Wheelocks, since we took multiple trips to Old World Wisconsin to see the house that is built like ours.

During my work at city council meetings, I've covered discussions about whether to save the house. This unexpected visit during my volunteering gig definitely gives more dimension to my perspective.