Trimborn Farm
Trimborn Farm
Trimborn Farm is a Victorian era estate located in Greendale, Wisconsin and owned by Milwaukee County. Spanning 7.5 acres (18.5 hectares) and nine buildings, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The farm is also a State Historic Site and designated Milwaukee County Landmark.
In 1851, Werner Trimborn and Jacob Kier purchased an existing lime production
business which covered ten acres (25 ha) on site. Kier left soon after, but
Werner and his family continued on to become one of the largest producers of
high quality lime in Wisconsin. At its height in the 1870s, the business held
over 500 acres (1.2 km˛; 1200 ha) of land and employed nearly 40 people.
With the 1900s came a drastic change in building materials, including the
introduction of Portland cement. The estate was soon subdivided and sold off,
with much of it going to the Theodore Vollmer family for use in dairy farming.
In 1919, the Froemming family purchased a large tract of land to build
greenhouses on, a portion of which was later donated to Whitnall Park.
In 1935, the farm, along with 3,400 acres (8.4 km˛; 8400 ha) of surrounding
land, was purchased by the federal government as part of a planned agricultural
community known as the Greendale Project. It is now the village of Greendale,
Wisconsin.
After the Great Depression, the remaining farmland passed into private
ownership, where it became home to crop dusters and a riding stable.
The nine historic buildings and land which remain are part of the Milwaukee
County Parks System. With the assistance of the Milwaukee County Historical
Society, a variety of community events and activities are scheduled year-round.
Property highlights include:
Farmhouse
Farmhouse — Constructed in Greek Revival style during the 1850s using Cream City brick, a distinctive, light colored brick made locally.
Granary
Granary — Built in the 1850s using a technique on the interior called brick noggin to protect against air infiltration. This building functioned as a bunkhouse and granary.
interior
heating and laundry tools
Lime Kilns — In the 1840s and 1850s four lime kilns were constructed to heat
limestone taken from the nearby quarry and turn it in to lime powder.
entrance to kiln
kiln chamber
saw to cut wood splitting rounds
hill created to haul wood and limestone to the charging openings
Stone Barn — Beginning in 1858 it was built in three phases, using limestone
from the quarry. Two concrete silos were added in 1920.
Threshing Barn — Built in 1858, using vertical board and batten siding. The barn
was used to store grain and house animals.
Text from Wikipedia
