Owners of 579 Wisconsin Ave.
First Owner: George O. BergstromGeorge O. Bergstrom was born March 16, 1849 in Norway. His parents, Johannes and Jorgine, brought the family to the Neenah. They settled in Neenah, with Johannes (John) working as a blacksmith and later involved with Plow Works. In 1878, George founded the Bergstrom Stove Works and incorporated the previous Plow Works within the business. His partner in Bergstrom Stove works was his brother, D.W. Bergstrom. Later, the brothers split the company. George Bergstrom married Alice D. Smith, and they had four children. His son, George Edwin Bergstrom, is known for being the architect of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California.
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Second Owner: William A. Shepard
William Shepard was vice chairman of the Menasha Packaging Company, a division of Menasha Corporation, before his resignation in 2004. He also held the position of president and CEO. He is a fifth-generation descendent of Elisha D. Smith, founder of the Menasha Corporation, formerly Menasha Wooden Ware Company. Shepard is still living today. Shepard lived on this residence for about 20 years with his wife, Cynthia Shepard. The Shepards preferred a more contemporary look to their house.
Current Owners
The current owners bought the house from the Shepard's on June 1st, 2013. They have requested to remain anonymous. The new renovations include a new garage and an addition to the back of the house, adding a new kitchen on the first floor and an office and exercise area on the second floor. The former exterior windows were kept in the walls after the addition to give it a unique look. The old garage had originally been a carriage house and the doors were very small and uneven, which made it difficult to fit cars into. In addition, it had been infested with carpenter ants, so the old garage was torn down and a new drive-thru garage was added. The current owners also liked the vintage look of the house and are in the process of restoring the original rooms to what they think was the authentic appearance. Original doors, walls, wood, and many other historic features are being preserved. However, some wood is being replaced with AZEK wood for longevity. The servant headquarters was also transformed into the kids' hangout area, and the small servant children's bedrooms were remodeled into habitable nooks. When the outside of the house was being remodeled, the current owners had taken away the three colors that characterized a Victorian house. Realizing that they wanted to keep the Victorian style, they added green trims to the windows.
Source:
Mr. Bill Shepard." ZoomInfo. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2015.
"Bloomberg the Company & Products." Businessweek.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2015.
"George O. Bergstrom." Ancestry. N.p., n.d. Web.
"History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2015.
1996 Polk Cross Reference Directory Outagamie-Winnebago Counties. N.p.: R. L. Polk, n.d. Web. 17 May 2016.
Schaufelberger, Adriana. "George O. Bergstrom House History." Personal interview. 18 May 2016.
Mr. Bill Shepard." ZoomInfo. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2015.
"Bloomberg the Company & Products." Businessweek.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2015.
"George O. Bergstrom." Ancestry. N.p., n.d. Web.
"History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 May 2015.
1996 Polk Cross Reference Directory Outagamie-Winnebago Counties. N.p.: R. L. Polk, n.d. Web. 17 May 2016.
Schaufelberger, Adriana. "George O. Bergstrom House History." Personal interview. 18 May 2016.