Mr. Repe’s House on Mt. Vernon

Years ago, I photographed many buildings I knew to be the work of William Waters, also those I suspected to be by him. One of the houses which attracted my attention was on the south-east corner of Mt. Vernon and Dale Street. in Oshkosh.  The house exhibited many of the signature elements that could mark it as the work of architect Waters; long narrow window in the gables and curved brackets.  To look at the house now, it is hard to imagine the beauty and grace that attended the dwelling when built in 1882. 

 The house was constructed for Charles Repe a stone cutter who’s name first appears in the city directory of 1876.  In those days, Mr. Repe lived at 64 Mt. Vernon Street and his stone cutting operation was on Marion Rd. by the river.  He advertised himself as a practical stone cutter suppling cut stone, flagging, curbing and coping work for cemetery work.  Business must have been good for by the early 1880’s Charles was able to move his wife and family to a large, stylish house further north on Mt. Vernon Street, he even became involved in local politics, representing the forth ward on the city council.   Queen Anne Style was all the rage then and the Repe house was a beauty; a porch across the front, long narrow windows in the gables and gracefully curved bracket supporting over-hanging roofs.  There was even an intriguing bay on the second-floor corner with several small windows and a cartouche-like medallion.

Charles Repe and his wife moved away in 1908 and sold the house to A. A. Steele.  The subsequent year were not kind to the house, the front porch was removed and the place was resided, taking with it much of the architectural detail.  Still one can see the grandeur that once was there.