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This is a contributing entry for A Tour Of Historic Cedarburg and only appears as part of that tour.Learn More.

The next residence that we will look at has a very good tie with Henry Roth and his life in Cedarburg. John Roth, however, did not fight in the Civil War alongside his brother. But, John Roth made a huge life here in Cedarburg that didn't require him to fight.


Building, Window, Fixture, Car

Automotive parking light, Building, Car, Vehicle

John Roth was a saloon and billiard ball owner in Cedarburg. Roth also built this residence in 1870 with a Greco-Italianate-inspired cream city brick that sticks out on the building. It also shows its inspirations from many attributes of the Greek Revival; the arched windows specifically and its door openings come from a later period of the building. John Roth was a carpenter and builder in Cedarburg, which is why the building stands today. Roth came to the United States in 1844 along with his parents, possibly from Germany, just like every German immigrant who came to the United States and would move to Cedarburg and Wisconsin; shows again how Cedarburg and Wisconsin lay heavily in its German-American roots specifically and not only just Wisconsin and Cedarburg stories but American stories as well.

Roth, and his brothers Henry and Phillip Roth also made social advances in the town when they settled here. The three brothers, married three daughters of a local baker in Cedarburg who was German, the father's name was George Stiehle. Another note, the three daughters of the father were also sisters (not related to the Roth brothers). As you can see, John and his brothers made big advances in Cedarburg; even before John's brother Henry went off to fight in the Civil War. Once Henry came home from the war, he would build a rooming home on a corner near Bridge Street (we will see this rooming home later in the tour) so that his brother John could operate his billiard hall and saloon. This house, just as Henry Roth's shows, is not just the structural element but also a very human element as well.

Zimmermann, H. Russell. The Heritage Guidebook: Landmarks And Historical Sites In Southeastern Wisconsin. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Heritage Banks, 1976. 197.

Zimmermann, H. Russell. The Heritage Guidebook: Landmarks And Historical Sites In Southeastern Wisconsin/Highlights Of Historic Cedarburg. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Heritage Banks, 1976.

A Walk Through Yesterday: In Cedarburg Wisconsin. 2005.

Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, John Roth House, Cedarburg, Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, 13413. Accessed April 16th 2022. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI13413.

Cedarburg History: Legend And Lore. Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Library Of Congress, 1976.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI13413

https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI13413