Shearer-Cristy House

Shearer-Cristy House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Front of house in 2008
Location within Wisconsin Location within the United States
Location	315 East Lake Street, Waupaca, Wisconsin
Coordinates	44°21′10″N 89°4′53″W
Architectural style	Queen Anne
NRHP reference No.	83004338
Added to NRHP	December 22, 1983

Shearer-Cristy House is a historic Queen Anne-style residence located at 315 East Lake Street in Waupaca, Wisconsin. Constructed between 1891 and 1892, it is considered one of the most elaborate and well-preserved examples of Queen Anne architecture in the state. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

History

The house was originally built for Caleb Shearer, a prominent local lumberman and owner of the Eagle Planing Mill. Shearer also served as mayor of Waupaca from 1892-93. Due to financial difficulties, he left Waupaca in 1898, and the house remained vacant until 1907, when it was purchased by Joseph Cristy, a local dry goods merchant. The Cristy family resided in the home for three generations, from 1907 to 1977.

Architecture

Designed by Chicago architect George Otis Garnsey, the Shearer-Cristy House is based on a pattern published in the May 1885 issue of The National Builder, a trade journal edited by Garnsey himself. The three-story house features an asymmetrical floor plan and is adorned with elaborate details characteristic of the Queen Anne style.

Notable architectural features include:

• A three-story circular tower on the west side with an ornate gabled hood.
• A turret on the eastern corner capped with a two-stage onion-dome roof and a fleur-de-lis finial.
• Exterior finishes of clapboard, wood shingles, applied stickwork, decorative bargeboards, and blocked wooden panels.
• A steeply pitched cross-gable roof with gable, tower, and oriel projections.
• Balconettes on the second story and a porch featuring turned posts, a frieze, and a balustrade with a cutout pattern.
• Interior elements such as a grand staircase with carved newel posts, paneled walls, and a balustrade repeating the exterior circle-in-square motif.

The property also includes a matching carriage barn to the south, considered significant to the site's historic value.

Preservation

The house underwent a full restoration beginning in 1994, aiming to preserve its historical integrity. The restoration included renewing the original exterior paint scheme and maintaining the elaborate woodwork and architectural details.

Recognition

The Shearer-Cristy House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 1983, and on the State Register of Historic Places on January 1, 1989.