Egg Harbor, WI – In November 2018, Horseshoe Bay Farms, Inc. (HSBF) completed the purchase of Horseshoe Bay Farms, a National & State Register of Historic Places-designated property in the Town of Egg Harbor. HSBF is a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established for the preservation, rehabilitation, and activation of Horseshoe Bay Farms.
The 8.5-acre property consists of 9 remaining barn structures along the west side of Horseshoe Bay Road. Following the purchase of the property, HSBF was also successful in saving 2 historic cottages from demolition by funding and overseeing their relocation across the street to the historic property.
“David and I are proud to be part of a group of donors that wanted to preserve and protect the Farm and two of its cherished cottages. We look forward to serving on the HSBF Board and working with the community to determine the Farm’s future.” (Lori Nicholas)
Earlier this year HSBF began an exhaustive RFP (Request for Proposal) selection process to hire a design team that will lead a long-term master planning process for the historic site. The master plan will compile historic information, reveal stories, and identify strategies for the preservation and reactivation of the property. It sets a goal of bridging the past with the present to ensure Horseshoe Bay Farms remains an important civic landmark and its history is never lost.
“The HSBF Board was humbled by the overwhelming interest (nationwide) in this project. We are excited to begin the process of planning the future of Horseshoe Bay Farms for generations to come.” (Lori and David Nicholas, Andy Gill)
Following the rigorous RFP process, HSBF has selected TEN x TEN out of Minneapolis, MN. TEN x TEN will lead a multidisciplinary team that includes AWH Architects, New History, Wigen Consulting, and GRAEF. Although the design team is based in Minneapolis, the team’s personal connections to this project are deep and varied. Ross Altheimer, Principal and Co-founder of TEN x TEN, spent many summers in Door County working on the water. Max Dickson, also of TEN x TEN, grew up in Egg Harbor. Principal architect of AWH Architects, Alex Haecker, has family ties to agriculture. His great-great-grandfather, Theophilus Levi Haecker was a professor at the University of Minnesota and known as the “Father of Minnesota Dairy”. Tamara Halvorsen Ludt of New History grew up in Kohler, Wisconsin and is thrilled to be working on a project close to home. Amanda Wigen of Wigen Consulting worked on Titletown in Green Bay. The team will initiate the first phases of the master planning process through fact gathering and interpretive planning before soliciting input from the public. That information will then be used to inform design and programming of the property that will thoughtfully reactivate the space as a community gathering place.
“We love projects like this that have layers of history and community. We are thrilled to be working with Horseshoe Bay Farms to cocreate a master plan for a new cultural institution that will serve Egg Harbor, Door County and Wisconsin. For me as a native of Wisconsin with deep ties to Door County, I am grateful to be able to contribute to the legacy of the state’s cultural landmarks.” (Ross Altheimer, TEN x TEN)
HSBF and TEN x TEN have already begun historic fact gathering as well as compiling stories from stakeholders of Horseshoe Bay Farms. Gathering photos, maps, and reports will reveal important themes that will guide the design narrative for future activation of the cultural landscape. HSBF and the TEN x TEN-led design team will host two public engagements opportunities in the coming months. The public is encouraged to attend and share their connection with the design team.
While the planning process begins, HSBF has already initiated urgent improvements to historic barns on property. New roofs are being installed on the barns by local contractor Buhr Construction. Additionally, Roberts Brothers Painting has recently begun the process of stripping old paint, replacing vulnerable wood siding, and repainting the barns. These projects are the first step of investment in significant infrastructure improvements under the leadership of HSBF, and they signal a commitment to the revitalization of this important cultural landscape.