2006 Preservation Awards
Maurice and Elanor Johnson Residence
69 Cambridge Road, Maple Bluff
[photo: Jason Tish]
69 Cambridge Road, Maple Bluff
Peggy Hedberg, owner
Isthmus Architecture Inc.
Engineered Construction Inc.
Award: residential restoration
This Mediterranean Revival style mansion on Lake Mendota in the Village of Maple Bluff was built in 1917 for Maurice Johnson, son of Norwegian immigrant and Gisholt Machine Company founder John A. Johnson. Designed by noted Madison architect Frank Riley, it features a low, hipped roof with red clay tiles and rounded arch openings. Other well-known designs by Riley include the Yost-Kessenich Department Store (the façade of which was retained for the Overture Center), the Madison Club, East High School and the current governor's mansion, built for Maurice Johnson's brother.
Now known as the Hedberg Residence, the house was heavily damaged by a fire in 2004 and carefully restored by its owner, Peggy Hedberg. The fire gutted the second floor and caused the tile roof to collapse, while firefighting efforts resulted in serious water damage. Hedberg sought assistance from Isthmus Architecture to undertake the extensive restoration. The one-and-a-half-year-long project, led by architect Charles Quagliana, sought to restore the house in a manner consistent with the original architect’s design intent.
After the fire, original plans were found in a frozen roll in the attic. They were taken to a conservation lab at the Wisconsin Historical Society and carefully thawed. Copies of the plans were used for the restoration. Materials, finishes, and fixtures destroyed by fire were replicated; damaged features were restored. The effort involved major and minor components, ranging from structural and roof reconstruction to restoring door hardware and decorative finishes. To rebuild the roof, contractors used historic tile from the Balmoral Racing Club in Crete, Ill., which proved an exact match.
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Other 2006 Award Winners
William and Fryetta Burmeister Residence
American Tobacco Company Warehouses
Ellsworth Block
23 N. Pinckney Street
Adolf and Edna Kannenberg Residence
Maurice and Elanor Johnson Residence
