The Carrington | Toft House Story

The Carrington | Toft House Story. . , Mid 1800s Carrington Home built by Miles Carrington. , , 1863 Thomas Toft arrives in Baileys Harbor, WI , , 1868 Massive fire in Baileys Harbor, Carrington built a two-family home for housing needs. , , 1874 Thomas, at 30 years, married Juley Anne Panter. , , 1892 Thomas Toft purchased the Miles Carrington home on the corner of Doc's Hill (Bluff Rd) and Main Street (Hwy 57) for $400.00 , , 1900 Thomas talked his son Will into buying the two-family house next door so they could share the common well. , , 1919 Thomas died in 1919, and Emma started a summer resort on the Toft's Point land with her mother, brothers, and sisters. She wintered here in her brother's home. , , 1982 Emma died. The Toft house was sold to the John Rosbergs and housed The Red Geranium. , , 1994 The Toft House was sold to Kathy and Walter Vail and continued to operate The Red Geranium. , , 2013 The Town of Baileys Harbor purchased the property and it now serves as a Welcome Center and Museum. , , Thomas Jensen Toft came to Baileys Harbor in 1863 and worked for Michigan Stone Company. He gained the nickname of "Big Tom" and soon became the company foreman. , , In the spring of 1868 a massive fire destroyed most of the homes and businesses in the village. Miles Carrington quickly built a temporary two-family home in the New England saltbox style. , , Each side had a kitchen, parlor downstairs, and one bedroom upstairs separated by a common stairwell. A shed roof room was later added with an attic above it. The home was located on the lot North of the Carrington family Home. , , In 1874 Thomas, at 30 years, married Juley Anne Panter, just 16 years old. The couple lived at "The Point" on Mud Bay and were responsible for feeding the large Michigan Stone Company crew, as well as taking care of their family, gardens and livestock. , , In May of 1892, Thomas Toft purchased the Miles Carrington home on the corner of Doc's Hill (Bluff Road) and Main Street (Hwy 57) for $400.00 and moved his family of six children into town. One son died in infancy and daughter Elsie was born after they moved to town. , , In 1900 Thomas talked his son Will into buying the two-family house next door so they could share the common well. Interestingly, Will purchased this house from Joel Carrington, son of Miles, and his wife Alice for $400. , , Each Toft house had a barn for cows, horses and chickens. Will's barn was built in the "stove-wood" technique. Thick slices of log were mortared together making a warmer interior. The foundation of the barn is still evident. , , Will Toft married Anna Hammersmith in 1905. Will served in the Coastguard at the Baileys Harbor Station and later became the postmaster. Anna was a dressmaker. , , The Toft house was sold to the John Rosbergs in 1982 and housed The Red Geranium gift shop. The Rosbergs returned the building to its original wood floors and wainscoting walls. Only the stairway was changed for safety reasons. , , In December 1994, Kathy and Walter Vail purchased the property from the Rosbergs and continued to operate the Red Geranium. In 2013 the Town of Baileys Harbor purchased the property. , , The building now serves as a Welcome Center and houses displays by the Baileys Harbor Historical Society. The barn foundation behind the house serves as a community garden. We believe Emma would be pleased. , , Middle right box , Perhaps the most well known of the Thomas Toft children was Emma. Emma taught school and later became a nurse. She never married. When her father became ill, she came home to care for him in 1919. When her mother passed in 1936, Emma Toft moved to the spare bedroom in her brother's house for the winter and still managed the family summer resort, "The Point." , , She was the driving force with other local men and women to establish the Ridges Sanctuary. Emma Toft died at the age of 91 on February 14, 1982. , , From Wisconsin Women Making History Emma Toft is known as "Wisconsin's First Lady of Conservation" for her efforts to save an ancient forest in Door County from being destroyed by logging and commercial development. , , Top left image caption: Corner of Doc's Hill and Main Road about 1900. , , Middle left image caption: The Carrington Home was on the corner of Doc's Hill and Main. (Bluff Road and Hwy 57) It was built by Miles Carrington in the mid 1800s. , , Top center image caption: Two family home in the New England saltbox style. , , Bottom center image caption: Family of Thomas and Juley Anne Toft on the porch of their family home. Top row L to R: Olive, Samuel, Mary and William; Bottom Row L to R: Lucy, Thomas, Elsie, Juley Anne and Emma