Two Historic Houses for Sale in Cooksville

Two historic houses in the Cooksville Historic District—the Longbourne House and the John Seaver House— are for sale. Both are located on the Public Square in the Village of Cooksville.

The rural community of Cooksville, which is located in northwest Rock County, is often called “a wee bit of New England in Wisconsin” and was established in 1842, enlarged in 1846 by the addition of the Village of Waucoma next to it. The village was designated an official state and federal historic district in 1973 and is a locally designated historic area as well.

Longbourne House

The historic Longbourne House, built about 1854, is a charming two-story Gothic Revival house constructed of Cooksville vermilion brick with decorated bargeboards at the roofline and porch. The residence has four bedrooms and two bathrooms, and features a great room as well as parlor, study and dining room.

The house was built for Thomas W. Longbourne, an Englishman, who operated the local flour mill. Longbourne sold the house in 1866 to Charles Woodbury, who operated the Cooksville store, and it was often the residence of local storekeepers. A large contemporary addition to the rear enhances the home’s livability and harmonizes with the historic house. The former small wood-framed addition was moved, re-designed and converted to a two-car garage.

The Longbourne House was bequeathed by the late Hank Bova to the Historic Cooksville Trust, Inc. Hank was a director of the Historic Cooksville Trust.

The second house for sale is the historic John Seaver House. This l½ story frame Greek Revival house was built circa1849 by John W. Fisher, a local carpenter. The clapboard exterior and front porch of this historic house have been restored, and a new addition to the south and a new garage were added. Extensive garden plantings extend to the rear of the property. This house is located next to the Longbourne House.

The historic rural Village of Cooksville, also known as “the town that time forgot,” has long been known for its well-preserved and carefully rehabilitated historic buildings, including the Cooksville General Store (the oldest in the state), the schoolhouse (now the Cooksville Community Center), two historic churches, and the 1840s and 1850s historic homes and barns.

For more information about the historic houses for sale, contact Sharon Milliken, First Weber Realtors, at her office (608) 828-5107, or cell (608) 347-8162.

Posted by Larry Reed

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