Genesee Depot, Wisconsin - Historical Sites

Historical Sites

Many buildings in Genesee Depot are the originals from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including “the original section of St. Paul’s Catholic Church (Hwy 83 & D), built in the early 1870’s; the James Proctor House (Hwy 83 by bridge spanning Genesee Creek) also dating back to the 1860’s, behind which stood the Genesee Woolen Mill; and the new railroad depot built in 1897 after the first one burned down. This station building was relocated slightly south of where it originally stood on Hwy 83 and serves diners today as the Genesee Depot Café.” The original town hall, now the Wales-Genesee Lions and Lioness Club, was built in 1912 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Another historic site in Genesee Depot is Ten Chimneys, the home of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, so known because among the three buildings on the site, there are ten chimneys. Lunt and Fontanne's residence in Genesee Depot was their summer home and a popular gathering place for theater people. It is decorated with original pieces and collections of the Lunts from the early 20th century. Each room was carefully decorated with the passion that Alfred and Lynn shared for theater and art. It is now open as a house museum.