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Villa Louis

As frontier entrepreneurs, Hercules Dousman and his heirs amassed a fortune. Son H. Louis Dousman and his wife Nina built the Villa Louis as the centerpiece of a country estate that reflected their status as wealthy Victorians. For a time they operated the estate as the Artesian Stock Farm, breeding and raising fine standardbred trotting horses for harness racing. They furnished the mansion with elegant antiques, fine art, and exquisite heirlooms. Then, amid the thick of Victorian pomp in 1885, they redecorated the house top to bottom in British Arts-and-Crafts splendor.

The Dousmans left the estate in 1913, and the rooms' luster waned over time until the Wisconsin Historical Society returned the magnificent home to its 1890s heyday. The documentary restoration of the house was completed in May 2003 and is now one of America's most authentically restored Victorian homes.

Location: P.O. Box 65, Prairie du Chien Wisconsin 53821 Telephone 608-326-2721

Other History nearby:
(Spillville) Bily Clocks Museum
(Decorah) Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum
(Prairie du Chien) Villa Louis

04/11 Coming to The Prairie du Chien area
Dutch Days Festival Fulton IL May3-4 Arts and Crafts Vendors; Food and Concession Stands; Windmill Tours; Dutch Dancing and Costumes; Antique Tractor Display; Dutch Treasures Display; Heritage Canyon w/Early American Crafters; Hindeloopen Painting Demo and Sales; Stippling Display and Parade.
Montello's Fish-n-Fun Montello WI May3-5 Fly over the city in a helicopter, paddle down the Fox River like Marquette and Joliet in a guided canoe, munch on cotton candy between thrilling carnival rides, send the kids fishing with the pros on Montello Lake.
Marion Arts Festival Marion IA May18 the festival offers a high caliber, fully accessible cultural experience – a day of fine art and flip flops, families and connoisseurs, fun and education.
DubuqueFest Fine Arts Festival Dubuque IA May17-19 DubuqueFest's juried fine art fair features the work of over 70 artists and artisans from throughout the region offering the very best in fine art and fine craft. Meet the artists, learn about their process, and invest in hand-crafted pieces.
Rhubarb Festival Lanesboro MN June1 Taste such delicious rhubarb delights as pies, crisps, cakes, soups, chutneys, chili, jams, ketchup, leathers, drinks and more. Be the judge of the best of everything rhubarb. After tasting your favorites, vote. Winners of Peoples Choice Awards win great prizes!
Sparta Butterfest Sparta WI June6-9 Carnival, arts, craft, flea market, antiques, buttermaking demonstration.
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