Governor William H. Upham Mansion
Civil War veteran William Upham was instrumental in the early development of Marshfield, WI. He and his wife Mary came to Marshfield in 1878 and established lumber businesses. Elected Mayor twice 1886-1887, Upham helped rebuild Marshfield in 1887 after a fire destroyed it and served as Wisconsin’s 18th Governor from 1895-1897. Mary was actively involved in Marshfield and as Wisconsin’s First Lady. Mary worked with the Women's Club of Madison which focused on education, health issues, and social reform and helped to establish 150 acres of parks and playgrounds in Madison, WI. Mary passed away in 1912 and in 1913 Governor Upham married Grace Mason from Beaufort, NC. Grace resided in the home until she died in 1975. She desired the memory of Governor Upham to live on through the preservation of the beautiful, Italianate home he had built in 1880. The Governor Upham Mansion museum needs repair. The western foundation has sunk enough to cause walls to crack and floor boards to buckle. The removal of a load-bearing wall in 1890 has now caused part of the dining room ceiling to sag. Engineers and architects have estimated that repairs will be about $500,000.
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