Home of the Wilson, Stout, and LaPointe families — three generations of Menomonie’s founding families — the Wilson Place Mansion has a history as rich and colorful as that of Menomonie and Dunn County itself.
Built in 1859 by Captain William Wilson, the house was originally a large Colonial-style residence with a pillared porch. Captain Wilson was a principal in the Knapp, Stout & Co. Company, founder and first mayor of the City of Menomonie, and the area’s first state senator. In 1875, he enclosed the 22-acre estate with a sandstone wall, portions of which still border the museum grounds today.
When Wilson died in 1892, the home became the residence of his daughter Angelina and her husband James Huff Stout, another principal in the lumber company and a leading civic figure. The couple extensively remodeled and expanded the house into an impressive Queen Anne–style mansion. Additions included 17 marble fireplaces, a ballroom, a carved mahogany staircase, and wrap-around porches on all three floors.
In the early 1920s, Wilson’s grandson, George Wilson LaPointe, Jr., and his wife Irene acquired the property. Continuing the family’s lumber legacy, LaPointe operated lumber yards throughout Wisconsin and Michigan.
By the late 1920s, architectural tastes had shifted, and the era of grand Victorian mansions was giving way to more restrained, historically inspired designs. In 1929, the LaPointes reduced the size of the original mansion by two-thirds, retaining substantial portions of the earlier structure while reconstructing it upon the Wilson foundation. The residence was reimagined in the Tudor Revival style — drawing inspiration from English Arts & Crafts traditions and English manor houses.
The building standing today reflects changing architectural ideals and the evolving needs of a new generation.
Decades later, John and Jackie Dotseth recognized the home’s historic importance and undertook its preservation, converting it into the Wilson Place Museum so that the public could experience the legacy of the families who built Menomonie.
Today, the Wilson Place Museum offers a glimpse into the lives of the Wilsons and their descendants through three major architectural periods — Colonial, Queen Anne, and Mediterranean. Many of the original furnishings have remained at this site since 1846, providing an authentic window into the daily life of Menomonie’s early citizens.
A guided tour of the museum provides visitors with a detailed history of the home and the generations who lived here. The Wilson Place Museum operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to preserving this remarkable landmark and sharing the stories of the people who helped shape Menomonie’s past, present, and future.
