House On The Rock - Timeline

Timeline

• c. 1920 – Alex Jordan Sr. vowed to "put up a Japanese house on one of those pinnacle rocks" to spite Frank Lloyd Wright
• c. 1945 – Alex Jordan Jr. began blasting to form a level foundation at the top of the pinnacle. He talked to the farmer who owned the rock but did not bother to secure formal rights at the time. The first structure on the rock was a simple "tent" (Moe) or a "picnic place with a tarpaper roof" (Balousek)
• 1952 – An electric hoist was installed to aid construction.
• 1959 – Labor Day: Jordan placed a stone marker on Highway 23 and officially opened the house to paying visitors.
• 1962 – Wisconsin Trails magazine published a long article about the house by Howard Mead. The article marked the status of the house as a serious tourist attraction, and drew regional attention to it. State Industrial Commission gave the house its first formal inspection.
• 1968 – the "Mill House" opened, containing "one of the world's largest" fireplaces. It is the first room in the house to emphasize collections of curiosities and antiques, including dolls, guns, and mechanical musical instruments.
• 1971 – "Streets of Yesterday" opened, influenced by techniques devised by Paul Yank for a 1968 "Streets of Old Milwaukee" exhibit at the Milwaukee Public Museum.
• 1974 – "Music of Yesterday" opened.
• 1981 – Carousel Building and "World's Largest Carousel" opened, on Easter weekend.
• 1985 – The "Infinity Room" was constructed.
• 2008 - Two additional buildings; the Welcome Center and the Alex Jordan Jr. Center (a museum detailing Mr. Jordan's personal life and the construction of the complex's many buildings) were constructed.