The Commandant's House was designed by renowned local architect William Waters. Waters designed buildings and homes in Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha, Appleton, River Falls and Waupaca, along with the Wisconsin building for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. In Waupaca, he designed several downtown buildings, including the old courthouse and the Danes Hall. At the Wisconsin Veterans Home, Waters designed other buildings, including the cottage district, which is now gone. Many of Waters’ buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Commandant’s House.

The Commandant’s House, or the Administration Building as it was often called in its early years, was built in 1888 as the residence of the superintendent or Commandant—the head of the Veterans Home. It was built near the cottages to promote the feeling of a community. The commandant and his spouse played a prominent role in the early life of the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King. Until 1920, the Commandant was always a Civil War veteran. The house is built in the Queen Anne style, a popular Victorian architectural style from about 1880 through 1910. Distinctive features of the Queen Anne style found in the Commandant's House are round towers, wrap-around porches, and an asymmetrical façade. Though not a characteristic of the style, Waters added shingles to the original building, as he often did to his residential buildings in other cities. The home is 2½ stories, with an exposed basement on the back side. At one time, the home had nine bedrooms with private baths. When the House was built, each second-story bedroom had a sink for traveling visitors to wash up in upon arrival. Within the building, one large room was reserved for the Board of Managers for their monthly meeting administering the affairs of the Wisconsin Veterans Home. The bedrooms were often used by the Board of Managers, since many members traveled from cities around Wisconsin. Commandant Bill Crowley was the last to live in the Commandant’s House, moving out in 2009.

The Commandant’s House is the only large frame structure remaining from the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King’s historic period.  The chapel and one cottage remain on the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King campus as well.

Open Hours at the Commandant's House

The Commandant's House will be open this summer after the Waupaca Chain Skiers Shows on Rainbow Lake at the Wisconsin Veterans Home. The House will be open from 7-8 pm these evenings.

Check back for more open houses and events to come!

Interested in Volunteering or Donating?

We would love your help in preserving the Commandant's House! If you are interested in donating your time, please email Tracy Behrendt at director@waupacahistoricalsociety.org. Financial donations are much appreciated as we move forward with planning and restorations and can be made in person at the Holly History and Genealogy Center, at the open hours at the Commandant's House, or online through Paypal, Venmo or NetGiver on our website! Note in your donation that you would like to go toward the Commandant's House. Thank you!