History of the Yawkey House Museum

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This is the home of Cyrus and Alice Yawkey, built in 1900-1901 in the Classical Revival style.  Designed by the Milwaukee architects Henry Van Ryn and Gerrit de Gelleke, it features large ionic columns and a pedimented portico.  When it was built the cost was $35,000 - said to be the most expensive house in Wausau.  Only six years later, the Yawkeys hired George W. Maher to remodel.  The first floor was completely remodeled, a two story addition was added to the back, and a sun porch was added on the east side of the house.  In 1974, the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.  A three million dollar restoration was finished in 2008. Originally from Michigan, the Yawkeys moved to northern Wisconsin in 1889 when Cyrus joined with his uncle and a business partner to form the Yawkey and Lee Lumber Company.  Alice Yawkey named the town that was founded by the venture, Hazelhurst, became of the abundance of hazel trees in the area.  Ten years later in 1899, the Yawkeys moved to Wausau where Cyrus was the uncontested leader of the Wausau Group.  The Wausau Group was composed of wealthy lumbermen who polled their resources in hopes of improving Wausau's economy as the logging industry was dying in the area.  They founded several businesses, utilitiy companies and the first paper mill in the area (Wausau Paper Mills in Brokaw). Cyrus Yawkey died in 1943, and Alice continued living in the house until her death in 1953.  Their only child, Leigh Yawkey Woodson, and their grandchildren presented the house to the Marathon County Historical Society in 1954.