Waterhouse Residence Museum
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Images
The Waterhouse Residence Museum
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Register of Historic Places in 1983.
William H. Waterhouse grew up on Long Island, New York and served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was captured and held prisoner at the infamous Andersonville, Georgia prison. Captain Henry Wirz, who was tried for murder after the war, commanded the Andersonville prison. Although conditions in most Civil War prisoner of war camps were poor, this camp had particularly awful conditions. It was filled to four times its capacity, was unsanitary, and possessed an inadequate food and water supply. Of the 45,000 men held there during the war, almost 13,000 died. Most of these deaths were from scurvy, diarrhea, and dysentery. The experience resulted in long-term health issues and eventually his doctor suggested that he and his family move to a warmer climate. Finally, at the age of 39, they moved to Maitland in 1882.
Waterhouse worked as a builder and contractor after the war and continued to do so in Maitland. He became a prominent member of the town, helping it receive its first charter in 1885. He was also elected to the town's first town council and served as an alderman until his death in 1921. The Waterhouse family continued to own the property for several decades. The second floor was converted to an apartment in 1970. It is not clear when the house became a museum.