With a new nonprofit status, a Friends of Gov. Nelson State Park group is now raising funds to restore an iconic gathering space built in 1950 when the park housed summer camps.
In a brochure created as part of the fundraising effort, the Hogan House is described as a 600-square-foot octagonal structure designed by Madison architect William V. Kaeser.
It was built as a bunkhouse and gathering space for campers when the site was owned by YMCA Camp Wakanda, one of three summer camps once located where the park is today.
Drew Howick of Westport is the president of the Friends of Gov. Nelson State Park. He noted that the building has been dormant since the 1970s, when the State of Wisconsin purchased the land for the state park.
The Department of Natural Resources had considered removing the structure since it was not being used.
“We either have to demolish or renovate it, and if we renovate it, we have to show what the purpose is,” Howick said.
The building was found to be structurally sound, and the group, which for years had been informally volunteering to work on projects such as prairie restoration and maintenance, then filed as a 501c3 to take on the restoration project.
The planned improvements include:
Restoration of the existing wood-burning stone fireplace.Update of the electrical system and lighting.Replacement of two doors and one large window facing Lake Mendota.Addition of solar tubes for better indoor lighting.Maintenance, repair and cleaning of interior and exterior wood surfaces.Accessibility upgrades.
The Friends group estimates the cost of the upgrades to be between $100,000 and $150,000, with the primary funds coming from individual and in-kind donations, and a Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Grant for Friends organizations.
Recently, the group hosted an open house, drawing about 30 individuals, some of whom had attended camp at the site prior to its sale to the state.
“We suspected this would resonate with a group of older people as something that would be important to them,” Howick said about the building restoration. He added that young families living in the Borchers Beach area were also interested in seeing it restored.
Jan Howick, who also serves on the Friends board, said the group envisions the building being used as an educational center, where classes could be held to talk about the land and the prairies, along with its history as an ancestral Ho-Chunk site.
A brochure created for the fundraising effort notes that “Hogans are significant in Native American culture for their use as gathering places to share knowledge, hospitality and respite.”
The Howicks point out that the park has no enclosed space for meetings. The Hogan House could also be used as a warming shelter for cross country skiers, they said.
It is unclear why this building was left after the others were razed. Other structures were more traditional rectangle shapes and on concrete slabs, some of which remain, Drew Howick said.
“We think the reason the Hogan House exists is it was built very carefully and purposefully as a gathering place,” he said, adding its solid foundation and octagonal shape helped it withstand the elements over time.
"We think that's difference versus the other traditional camp buildings," Howick added.
The brochure notes that “the building blends into the surroundings of Governor Nelson State Park, located near ancient effigy and conical mounds, with a view of Lake Mendota.”
The Friends of Gov. Nelson State Park are beginning to plan other activities as well. On Oct. 25, they will host a candlelight hike at the park with a s’mores station near the Hogan House.
Other possible future projects could include improvements at the Borchers Beach Road parking lot across from the building.
Donations can be made through the website, https://FriendsofGovNelson.org/donate or by mailing a check to Friends of Governor State Park, P.O Box 206, Waunakee, WI 53597.
Donations made by Nov. 1 can serve as matching funds required for the Friends’ application for a Knowles-Nelson grant.
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