Comments on: Old Houses Mushroom in Many Ways

By: adunate

adunate — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:27:27 +0000

Renee, thanks for your comment. And so interested to hear you’re redoing an American Foursquare! Keep in touch and share your ideas!

By: Renee Staude Meiller

Renee Staude Meiller — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:23:11 +0000

My husband and I just bought a fixer (read: total gut and remodel) American Foursquare in Madison and, searching for design and layout ideas, I came across this post. I loved it, and I loved that the search drew you in to the point that you learned so much about the builder. I’m already wondering what hidden history our house will hold. I grew up in Watertown and still visit my parents there often. Riverfest fireworks, here I come!

By: Barbara (Bhend) Boutwell

Barbara (Bhend) Boutwell — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:01:46 +0000

Pat,

I tried contacting some Bhends through FaceBook and I was told that there are two different clans of Bhend in Switzerland. One Bhend family’s place of origin is Unterseen. John Bhend’s clan is from Beatenberg. I was told that both are in the same area.

By: Barbara Boutwell

Barbara Boutwell — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:48:18 +0000

John Bhend was my grandfather Christian Bhend’s brother! Heidi Bhend
(his granddaughter and daughter of Irene) still lives in Watertown and I believe in the house that was her grandfathers. I see my nephew David
has left you a message!

This is very interesting.

By: adunate

adunate — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:34:08 +0000

Thanks so much for the fascinating history! I'd love to know more about John as a builder. The American Foursquare is popular in this area and I often wonder if he built any of them as well. Because I'm a genealogy junkie, I love that, in a very stretched way, I'm part of your family tree. And just to prove the extent of my addiction, I've also written about geneaology and homes here.