Built in 1884 (Queen Anne style). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
“The Mathewson-Gerecke House in Norfolk, Nebraska was built in 1884. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.”
Wikipedia article Mathewson-Gerecke House, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 12 National Register listings published here for Madison County · listed in 2012 · category: Building · built in 1884, Queen Anne style.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 114 fires within 5 miles of Mathewson-Gerecke House between 2007 and 2017, burning about 242 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 54 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 23 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 17 |
| Fireworks | 10 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 5 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 3 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 September 2012 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 29 September 2009 | Power generation/transmission/distribution | under an acre | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 22 September 2007 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 20 September 2011 | Railroad operations and maintenance | under an acre | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 20 September 2009 | Debris and open burning | 2.0 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 20 September 2008 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 2 September 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 15 September 2012 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 10 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Norfolk, the town this property stands in, in 81 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 36 hail, 28 thunderstorm wind, 5 lightning, 5 funnel cloud. The reports record 2 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 1996 | Lightning | Norfolk | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| August 1996 | Lightning | Norfolk | 1 hurt | no account filed |
| April 2012 | Flash Flood | Norfolk | $200,000 | Rainfall, unofficially up to 5 inches in parts of Norfolk, combined with large accumulations of hail and caused flash flooding in parts of Norfolk and other locations across the northern sections of the county. In Norfolk the hail and heavy rain clogged storm drainage systems flooding streets and causing flooded basements. In addition, the hail clogged the drainage system for stairway that led down to the emergency room of a local hospital. The entrance then filled with water which caused the steel door to collapse sending a flood of water into the hospital. This caused the relocation of the emergency entrance and also prompted the moving of some patients. |
| September 2007 | Lightning | Norfolk | $100,000 | A lightning strike started a house fire in Norfolk causing around $100,000 damage. |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | $40,000 | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | $30,000 | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Lightning | Norfolk | $5,000 | Lightning caused damage to a roof and interior ceiling to a house in town. |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | $2,000 | Steel framing being used on a construction site at the Norfolk Catholic High School was blown down. |
| August 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | $2,000 | no account filed |
| April 1995 | Hail | Norfolk | $200 | no account filed |
| March 2025 | Hail | Norfolk | - | Trained spotter report relayed by EM. Spotter had nickel to quarter size hail. |
| July 2024 | Funnel Cloud | Norfolk | - | Several pictures and videos were sent on social media of a funnel cloud. |
| September 2023 | Hail | Norfolk | - | Several reports from the public of quarter sized hail in Norfolk. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | Public estimate winds at 80 mph due to a large tree falling on house. |
| August 2022 | Hail | Norfolk | - | Several reports received from the public, one was for hail up to quarter size. Several reports within 1 mile of this location reported pea to half inch hail. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | Newspaper photos showed large tree limbs downed in Norfolk along Prospect Avenue. |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | ASOS at Norfolk Airport measured a wind gust of 60 mph. |
| March 2019 | Flood | Norfolk | - | Minor flooding observed on the North Fork of the Elkhorn River and is now out of its banks. |
| August 2019 | Funnel Cloud | Norfolk | - | There were multiple reports of weak funnel clouds out of a thunderstorm just east of Norfolk. |
| July 2019 | Hail | Norfolk | - | Spotters reported mostly nickel size hail, but a couple of quarter size hailstones were also reported. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | A 61 mph wind gust was measured at the Norfolk Airport ASOS. |
| July 2017 | Hail | Norfolk | - | One inch hail stones were wind driven and pounded sidings of homes in Norfolk. |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | Spotters reported wind gusts to 70 mph. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | Winds near 60 mph resulted in a highway sign being blown down in the Norfolk area. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated to have reached 60 mph in the Norfolk area. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | A thunderstorm wind gust of 68 mph was measured by the Norfolk Asos at 1156 pm CDT and a gust of 59 mph was measured at 1213 am CDT. The winds caused some tree damage in town. |
| April 2011 | Hail | Norfolk | - | The second supercell thunderstorm that moved across Madison county during the evening produced hail up to baseball-size in the Norfolk area. The hail caused considerable vehicle damage in town along with roof and siding damage. |
| June 2009 | Hail | Norfolk | - | Hail up to half dollar-size fell in the Norfolk area for at least 5 minutes. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | Several large tree limbs and power lines were downed in town by thunderstorm winds estimated at close to 60 mph. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at over 60 mph blew over a few trees and several large tree limbs across town. At least one vehicle was hit by a fallen tree. |
| August 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts were estimated at 70 mph by a radio station in Norfolk. The winds downed a few trees in town. |
| April 2006 | Lightning | Norfolk | - | A second lightning strike in town knocked a stone cross off of a church. The church was empty at the time and no injuries were reported. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | Thunderstorm winds were measured at 60 mph by the Asos at the Norfolk airport. Wind gusts first reached 58 mph shortly before the hour and gusts of that magnitude lasted for around 10 minutes. The winds caused scattered tree damage in town and also tossed a trampoline 40 yards into a bedroom window. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | A cooperative weather observer estimated thunderstorm winds of around 60 mph were responsible for downing several large tree limbs. |
| April 2004 | Hail | Norfolk | - | The hail was accompanied by thunderstorm wind gusts, as measured by the Norfolk ASOS, of 55 mph. |
| April 2004 | Hail | Norfolk | - | Hail up to 3 inches in diameter fell in the Norfolk area. The hail damaged cars, broke windows and punched holes in the sidings of homes and damaged trees, especially in the northeast part of town. |
| June 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | A thunderstorm wind gust was measured at 59 mph by the Norfolk Asos. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | A thunderstorm wind gust of 58 mph was measured by ASOS at the Norfolk airport. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts over 60 mph downed trees in Norfolk. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | A law enforcement official reported a thunderstorm wind gust estimated at around 60 mph. |
| July 2000 | Flash Flood | Norfolk | - | Heavy rain, 2 to 3 inches in 45 minutes and 3 to 6 inches in a little over 1 hour, caused flash flooding in the Norfolk area. Many streets were flooded in town. |
| July 1999 | Flash Flood | Norfolk | - | Street flooding in Norfolk from 2 to 4 inches of rain in one hour. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | Windows broken |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | At least one six inch diameter tree limb blown down. |
| July 1997 | Hail | Norfolk | - | Ground covered with hail. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Norfolk | - | A few large trees were blown down at Norfolk. |
| June 1994 | Tornado (F0) | Norfolk | - | A small tornado briefly touched down in a farm field sucking up debris into its nearly invisible vortex. |
| April 2017 | Hail | Norfolk | - | no account filed |
| July 2015 | Hail | Norfolk | - | no account filed |
| September 2015 | Hail | Norfolk | - | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Hail | Norfolk | - | no account filed |
| June 2011 | Hail | Norfolk | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Hail | Norfolk | - | no account filed |
| June 2008 | Hail | Norfolk | - | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Hail | Norfolk | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Norfolk | - | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Hail | Norfolk | - | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Norfolk | - | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Hail | Norfolk | - | no account filed |
| May 2001 | Hail | Norfolk | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Stubbs-Ballah House | 0.3 miles | 2013 |
| Norfolk Masonic Temple | 0.3 miles | 2021 | |
 | Norfolk Carnegie Library | 0.4 miles | 1998 |
 | Hotel Norfolk | 0.7 miles | 1988 |
 | Grand Theater | 0.7 miles | 2013 |
 | U.S. Post Office and Courthouse | 0.7 miles | 1974 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 12000105 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Madison County | All 12 listed properties in this county. |
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