We have been researching the history of the house. We have found very few records of the house and have had to piece everything together from City records and conversations with local residents. After days spent at the local library we discovered that John Thauer was the original owner of the house, and we believe it was completed around 1902. To this day, we have not come up with any photos of the house, except a grainy, black and white picture from a 1954 tax record.
John's father Georg Nicholas Thauer arrived in Watertown in the late 1860's and many of his 10 children settled here as well. John and his brothers were business men; lawyers; realtors; and merchants. The law firm of Skinner and Thauer practised in Watertown into the 1970's. John had a daughter Katherine whom we named the house after. The Holle name comes from Keri's family who kindly donated the family reed organ that graces the parlor. The 1890's reed organ originally belonged to Cora Idsinger, Keri's great-grandmother. Cora played the organ in the church her father pastored during the 1890s.
During the renovation, many people have stopped by to introduce themselves and ask questions about the house. We have met people who have lived in the house in the past, some who have played in it as children, some who knew the previous owners, and many who are simply excited to see this beautiful house being brought back to life.
