The cornerstone of the Oshkosh Public Museum is the Historic Sawyer Home, an English Tudor Revival style home built in 1908 by Edgar P. and Mary Jewell Sawyer. The Sawyers hired Oshkosh architect William Waters for the architecture.
The 17,600-square-foot home is constructed of Indiana brown brick and Bedford limestone. The Sawyers included all the modern conveniences of the time. Mary Jewell Sawyer's limited mobility necessitated the use of an elevator to access all four floors. The Sawyers also installed electric and gas services, as well as a coal-fired boiler for hot water.
Since 1924, the Sawyer Home has been the home of the Oshkosh Public Museum.
The Historic Sawyer Home includes unique and rare interiors designed and furnished by Tiffany Studios of New York. Tiffany Studios highlighted the Sawyer Den and the attached Sun Parlor in promotional catalogs.
Accents included stained glass windows, wall treatments, carvings, bronze grilles, and light fixtures. The Sawyers' prominent status in the lumber industry is visible in their home. Distinct hardwoods characterize each first-floor room.
The home included many spaces within its 17,600 square feet:
These included a parlor, dining room, library, numerous bedrooms, a ballroom, and a billiard room.
Edgar and Mary lived in the home for only around a year. While travelling, Mary passed away from heart failure. After Mary's death, Edgar no longer wanted to live in the home they had built together. In October 1922, Edgar donated the home to the City of Oshkosh in memory of his beloved wife. His only stipulation was that the home be used for the benefit of the public. In November 1924, the building became the home of the Oshkosh Public Museum.
Today, the Sawyer Home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The interior of the building underwent extensive restoration following the 1994 Museum fire. The quality and accuracy of the restoration earned the Oshkosh Public Museum awards from both the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation and the American Association for State and Local History.
Edgar Sawyer was born in 1842 to parents Philetus and Melvina Sawyer in New York. Philetus and Melvina settled their young family of two sons in Oshkosh in 1849. Philetus' status rose in the lumber industry, and he entered public life as a politician. He served in the state assembly, as Mayor of Oshkosh, in the U.S. House of Representatives, and in the U.S. Senate.
As Philetus's political career progressed, Edgar assumed control of much of his father's lumber business. He, too, was a savvy businessman and made many investments that diversified the Sawyer family's wealth.
Mary (Jewell) Sawyer was also born in New York in 1842 and moved to Oshkosh with her parents as a child. Mary and Edgar married in 1864. Mary was an intelligent woman known for her community involvement; Mary Jewell Park in Oshkosh is named in her honor.
Philetus, Melvina, Edgar, and Mary Sawyer are all buried at Riverside Cemetery, Oshkosh.
