William O. Petersen spent years fighting to preserve family’s Black Point Estate
By Maureen Vander Sanden
Staff Writer
Since it opened to the public in 2007, more than 29,000 passed through the doors of the Black Point Estate, one of the Midwest’s most well-preserved, Queen Anne-style homes dating back to the turn of the century.
The summer “cottage,” built in 1888 by German immigrant-turned legendary Chicago brewer Conrad Seipp, has been described as a time capsule, revealing to those who pass through its lush-carpeted hallways what life was like on Geneva Lake even before roads were laid – a time when the spectacular estate could be accessed only by steamer.
Thousands of visitors have not only been treated to the rich, romantic decorative style of the home’s day and its stunning view 90 feet above the sparkling south shore, but they also get a glimpse of what life was like inside the home.
“This historic house is truly unique,” said Wisconsin Historical Director Ellsworth Brown, who sits on the Black Point Historic Preserve board.
“This is a place that still has no heat – virtually everything that went in, never went out. It has modern bathrooms now, but not a lot of them. The way it was, is the way it became right up until 2005.”
The home that was recently transformed into a state-run museum is one that Brown calls “an absolutely, remarkable charitable gift.”
Seipp’s great-grandson William O. Petersen is credited with turning the unique property into an educational facility and conserving the land for the preservation of the natural scenic beauty of the estate.
The Chicago-born attorney and World War II veteran died March 28 at a retirement community in Hanover, N.H. of complications from Parkinson’s disease.
In his obituary, the family’s summer home was described as William’s passion.
He spent millions of dollars and nearly a decade of his life fighting to ensure that Black Point would be enjoyed by generations into the future, much like his family had for 120 years.
Black Point’s preservation was at the heart of a legal battle initiated by neighbors to the estate who unsuccessfully argued in Wisconsin’s 2nd District Court of Appeal that opening it for public tours would have a detrimental impact on surrounding properties’ value and the general well being of the area.
The estate was also caught in a 2002 political scandal, when Democratic Sen. Chuck Chvala was accused of shaking down a lobbyist years prior in order to garner support from lawmakers into making it a state-operated tourist site.
Despite the legal and political struggles, William and his late wife Jane Jordan Browne fought to secure a promising future for their beloved Black Point.
On Sept. 26, 2005, the couple’s dream became a reality when William presented the property deed to then-State Tourism Secretary Jim Holperin. Under the deal, the State of Wisconsin would own Black Point, and the local, nonprofit organization, Black Point Historic Preserve, Inc., would manage the site.
It took some major renovation including reconstructing its signature tower, and security upgrades, among other work before it was officially opened.
The effort has proven to pay off, as it has become a leading attraction to the already well-established tourism destination.
“It’s really a wonderful thing to have lakefront homes open to the public, it enhances our appeal to traveling public as well as locally,” said George Hennerly, president of the Lake Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce.
According to him, Black Point embodies Lake Geneva’s longstanding reputation as the place where Chicago’s wealthy come to play.
Brown said William’s gift is not only a gem to the area, but to the entire nation.
“It’s a time capsule, as far as I know there is nothing else like it, it’s just rare,” he said.
Most notable is the home’s Victorian furnishings, which had been brought from the Seipps’ Chicago mansion. The collection is considered by some to be one of the best examples of pre-Chicago fire furniture in existence.
“Each piece of furniture has a story to tell,” Brown said.
Mary Kaye Merwin, who manages the site, said William will be remembered by the many volunteers and visitors to Black Point as “a marvelous philanthropist and true conservationist.”
“He really took great care to have (Black Point) set up so it would remain a public treasure for a very long time,” she said.
Merwin said she got to see the enjoyment William got out of witnessing others enjoy his family’s pride.
He built a home adjacent to the museum, where he visited each summer, including last.
It was not uncommon for him to be found working in the estate’s gardens or conducting tours if the group was down a docent, according to local historian Ginny Hall, who has lead a number of tours through the mansion.
She recalls once hosting William and his in-laws, and being a bit intimidated by sharing with them his own family legacy.
“He said to me, ‘Yes, that’s absolutely true,’” she said, as she would relay details of the home’s family and history. “It was great to hear.”
“He was an absolute gentleman,” she added.
Among other loved ones, William is survived by his brothers Edward and Conrad who still vacation on Geneva Lake. He had no children, but treated his four nieces and nephews like his own.
Catherine Mack, his niece, said the family spent Easter Sunday in Virginia remembering William.
“He was quite a character, always in a hurry, so busy that he tended to lose track of details,” she wrote in an email.
“Once, when putting out trash for morning pick-up, he set out his suitcases for some reason and all his trip cloths went to the dump.
“Everyone delighted in retelling his gardening costume – baggy Khaki pants, yellow, long-sleeved shirt and large floppy white hat.”
Among his other quirks, Catherine said her uncle was also known to rarely tie his shoelaces.
“He loved German food and enjoyed entertaining, only ever buying German wines to serve,” she continued. “He never missed the Saturday Broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera and often could be found listening to his treasured Opera record collection. He had a quick wit that was sometimes cutting and as children we were quite afraid of his dislike of ‘whining.’”
Catherine said she remembers him most for always being in a hurry because he was so busy.”
“It’s hard to believe that he is now finally at rest,” she added.
A burial is planned May 9 in Graysville, Ind., as well as a summertime memorial service in Lake Geneva. Details are pending.
For a full obituary, visit mywalworthcounty.com.
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