In the first time in over 60 years, the Havilah Babcock House at 537 E Wisconsin Ave. in Neenah will be open for public tours on September 26. Tickets are $25 a person.
All tour proceeds will go to the Neenah-Menasha Emergency Society (NMES), in support of its efforts to assist those affected by the July 27th tornado. The organization provides financial assistance to address the emergency needs of residents living in Neenah and Menasha. Organized in 1906, the NMES was selected as the recipient of the funds because as a young woman Helen Babcock, whose parents built the house, was a charter member of the NMES.
Tickets for this event must be purchased in advance through the Neenah Historical Society’s website. These tours are timed and guided, running between 1 and 5pm. 12 guests will be in one tour together. There are a limited number of tickets.
As guests, there are rules to follow for entry:
Age limit - 15 and older
Flat shoes only - no heels or spikes
No food or drink
No pets/animals
No large bags/backpacks
The house is not wheelchair accessible.
Tour proceeds will be matched by the current residents, Peter Adams a great-grandson of Havilah Babcock and his wife Patricia Mulvey. Adams’ brother, Dr. David Adams and his wife Jill Romann of Minnesota will also provide an additional match.
About the Babcock House
The Babcock House was built in 1883 by Havilah Babcock and his wife Frances. Babcock was one of the four founders of Kimberly-Clark. The house is still owned by the Babcocks’ descendants. Occupied only by family members throughout its history, the majority of the furnishings, wall coverings, floor coverings, and decorations remain as though Havilah Babcock had just stepped outside.
By virtue of the home’s remarkable state of preservation, the Wisconsin Historical Society recognized the Babcock House as one of the 20 most remarkable homes in the state, selected out of 1,500 houses it considered, when the Society published its book Wisconsin’s Own in 2010. Of those 20, the Babcock House was one of six featured in the 2015 PBS Wisconsin documentary, Remarkable Homes of Wisconsin. The house is listed on the National and State Register of Historic Places and is a Neenah Landmark.