Now, how many of you have actually stopped into the cottage for a tour? I'm guessing not too many. You see, I've worked at the Mitchell-Rountree Stone Cottage for three years now, and the people who come in usually have no idea what the site is about, even if they are from the Platteville area. We simply don't get many visitors in to see us. And that, folks, is the reason why I'm writing this. I want to encourage more people to stop by and learn a little about some interesting and somewhat forgotten Platteville history.
First, I should probably get some of the logistics out of the way, like the price for a tour, location of the building, and so on. If money is an issue for you, there's no need to fret over that stuff, because when you do decide to make the trek to the cottage, you'll notice right away that there is no set fee for visitors. The Stone Cottage recommends a donation to the site, which of course is put towards maintenance and electricity bills (things of that nature). Also, the cottage can be found in Platteville on Highway 81 West, headed towards Lancaster; it is a very noticeable stone building on Madison St. And finally, the hours in which the museum is open. Unfortunately, the cottage is only up and running during the summer months (I believe this year we opened on Memorial Day weekend) until Labor Day. And being as we don't get too many people in, we can only stay open on Saturdays and Sundays, from noon until four o'clock. So, there you go. You're set to finally see the place.
But let's talk a little about what us docents will discuss on a typical tour. One thing many people don't know, is that the Stone Cottage is the oldest, standing building in Platteville, WI, and it was once lived in by Platteville's founding father, Major John H. Rountree. This is of course all briefly mentioned in the beginning, but the topic of interest in the home is of John Rountree's granddaughter, Laura Rountree, who lived in the home her entire life (up til 1966, when she passed away at the age of 95), even when she gave the cottage to the Grant County Historical Society just seven years before.
The home is still full of most of the original furniture that was used by Laura and her family from the 1890's, and there are plenty of stories and facts to go along with them (Note: I am not posting photos of the inside of the house, because I didn't want to ruin the surprise for you all, and also because I didn't want the neighbors to think I was breaking in). And it may seem like a home dedicated to the granddaughter of a prominent figure from Platteville wouldn't keep one's interest, but Laura was quite a character herself. Come and hear about the battles Laura had with the Grant County Historical Society over furnaces and sink faucets, or listen to secondhand stories from what residents of Platteville had to say about her. The tour even allows people to walk in and out of each room in the house, to better see and interact with the exhibits.
The Stone Cottage also concludes its tours with a walk out to the gardens on the lawn. As always, we have a three sisters garden blooming.
And at the far end, we have our Bunny Cottontail Garden.
In case you were curious, the inspiration for both gardens will be touched on during the tour (I don't want to give too much detail away!)
And there you have it. So, if all of my babbling and pleading still hasn't convinced you to stop by for a quick browsing or full on spiel from yours truly, just know that out of all the tours I've given in my Stone Cottage career, I always have my visitors very pleased with their decision to come in. I'm just not sure yet if it is my interpretation abilities, or if it is the site itself, but either way, it's worth the trip for you to find out!
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