Historic Red House

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

Built in 1905 by Dr. Willibald Wehle and his wife Marie for the sum of $10,000, the Red House as it is known today, was used by Dr. Wehle for his medical practice and as the family home. Stories say the foundation stones were collected by the doctor as he did his rounds. Over the years, the building it has been converted to many businesses including a tea room run by Herman and Ruth Foell from 1945 to 1947, Alfred Koffel’s chiropractic office from 1948 to 1976, and now is home to salons and law firms.

Images

Doctor Wehle Shoveling Snow. WCHS 016,719.

Certificate from WI Board of Medical Examiners to Willibald Wehle of Washington County. WCHS 1999.863

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Born in St. Louis, Willibald moved to Milwakee as a child. He worked as a religious and stereopticon artist while attending high school in Milwaukee. In 1890 he completed his PhD in pharmacy at UW-Madison and then purchased the Eagle Drug Store in West Bend. While working at the pharmacy, he developed an interest in medicine. He attended the P&S College in Chicago and while worked at Cook County Hospital, became a skilled midwife. He then did post graduate work in New York City before returning to West Bend to practice medicine in a building downtown.

He met his wife, Marie when she she vacationing on Big Cedar Lake. In 1905 he decided to build a new home and office just off of main street. The building originally had an elaborate water cistern system designed by the doctor.

Sources

Leadership West Bend Class of 2018. Historic Downtown West Bend Walking Tour. West Bend, Wisconsin. 2018.

Rathburn Associates. Final Report: Intensive Architectural/Historical Survey, West Bend, WI. West Bend, WI:1988.

Maersch, Mitch. "Office offers local history of medicine." The Daily News (West Bend) July 30th 2001.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

From the object collection of the Washington County Historical Society. Property of the Washington County Historical Society.