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Photograph of Jens Naeset House
Photograph by James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Jens Naeset House

Built in 1878 (Italianate architecture). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

From the record

“The Jens Naeset House is an Italianate/Second Empire house built in 1878 in Stoughton, Wisconsin by Norwegian immigrant builder Naeset for his own family. In 1985 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.”

Wikipedia article Jens Naeset House, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 238 National Register listings published here for Dane County · listed in 1985 · category: Building · built in 1878, Italianate architecture.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

  • What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
  • Listed as. Naeset, Jens, House - the National Register files a house under its owner's surname.
  • Address. 126 E. Washington, Stoughton, 53589
  • When was it listed? March 1985
  • Category. building
  • City. Stoughton city
  • When was it built? 1878
  • Architectural style. Italianate architecture, Second Empire style
  • National Register reference number. 85000577 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

The ground it stands on

205,128 words

The chapter on Stoughton City in History of Dane County, Wisconsin ... Preceded by a History of Wisconsin, Statistics of the State, and an Abstract of Its Laws and Constitution and of the Constitution of the United States, published 1880 names Stoughton. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.

XICHOIiAi^ AliTEMUS, farmer, Sec. 2 ; P. 0. Stoughton ; was born in Monroe Co., Penn., in 1829; when 16 years old, he became apprenticed to the harness-maker's trade, which he followed, together with merchandising, in his native State till 1855 ; he then emigrated to Wisconsin and located on Sec. 2, town of Dunkirk, Dane Co., where he now owns 240 acres. He was married, in Monroe Co., Penn., in 1852, to Sally A. Saylor, a native of that county ; their children are Emma 0., Sarah A., Charles S., Ida D., Oscar P., Edgar D. and Theodore N. Mr. Altemus is a member of the M. E. Church.

Passage source: History of Dane County, Wisconsin ... Preceded by a History of Wisconsin, Statistics of the State, and an Abstract of Its Laws and Constitution and of the Constitution of the United States, published 1880.

THEODORE BAILEY, farmer. Sec. 21 ; P. 0. Stoughton; was born in Litchfield Co., Conn., May 30, 1803 ; when a year old, his parents removed with him to Steuben Co., N. Y., whence, in 1821, they went to Crawford Co., Penn., and two years later to Mercer Co., Penn., where they died; when 18 years old, he went to the town of Erie, Erie Co., Penn, and there followed teaming principally till 1842, going thence to Port Stanley, Canada; he was employed on public works till November, 1850, when he removed to Alabama and engaged in the livery-stable and staging business till the spring of 1855 ; he came then to the town of Dunkirk, Dane Co., Wis., and bought his present farm of 120 acres on Sees. 20 and 21. He was married, in April, 1834, to Nancy A., daughter of Daniel and Nancy Chidester, a native of Cooperstown, N. Y.; she died June 9, 1868, having had one son - James S., who was killed in the battle of Malvern Hill, Va.; his second marriage was celebrated Sept. 12, 1869, to Mrs. Emily Lyon, nee Warren, a native of St. Johnsbury, Vt., she having two daughters by a former marriage - Martha, now Mrs. George Burnett, of Stoughton ; Emma, Mrs. A. E. Gilbert, of Dunkirk.

Passage source: History of Dane County, Wisconsin ... Preceded by a History of Wisconsin, Statistics of the State, and an Abstract of Its Laws and Constitution and of the Constitution of the United States, published 1880.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Stoughton City - 205,128 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.

Fires near this property

18 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 18 fires within 5 miles of Jens Naeset House between 1994 and 2020, burning about 18 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined8
Debris and open burning6
Arson/incendiarism1
Recreation and ceremony1
Other causes1
Misuse of fire by a minor1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
29 August 2020Recreation and ceremony1.0 acresWisconsin Department of Natural Resources321998
14 August 2019Debris and open burningunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources232
13 July 2019Debris and open burningunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources190
8 April 2019Arson/incendiarismunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesBADFISH
8 April 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources101
29 April 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources136
27 April 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources125
23 April 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources113

Every fire recorded in Dane County

Mines and quarries near this property

3 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 3 workings within 5 miles of Jens Naeset House: 2 producers, 1 unknown. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Anderson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionUnknown
Fosdahl PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Hawkinson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Dane County

Storms near this property

50 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Stoughton, the town this property stands in, in 50 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 28 thunderstorm wind, 14 hail, 4 funnel cloud, 3 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
September 2013Thunderstorm WindStoughton$7,000,000Large tree uprooted and many smaller trees snapped.
June 2008Tornado (EF1)Stoughton$429,000This tornado moved from just west of Hults Road on the far western part of Stoughton northeast to a point northwest of the intersection of CTH B and CTH N. Based on the observed damage, it was probably a multiple-vortex tornado. In the Stoughton area, with respect to residential homes, it resulted in very minor damage to 24 homes, minor damage to 21 homes, and major damage to 3 homes. Additionally, 1 church sustained major damage, and 1 tabacco shed was destroyed. Total estimated property damage (roofs, siding, walls, windows) in the Stoughton area was $409,000. In the Civil town of Pleasant Springs, 12 homes sustained minor damage estimated at about $20,000. The starting and ending locations in Dodge County, with respect to lat/long pairs of numbers, were 42.92395/-89.25369 and 42.96431/-89.20166, respectively. DI #2 (FR12), DOD4. Maximum wind speed about 90-95 mph. Average path width about 75 yards.
August 2005Thunderstorm WindStoughton$50,000Rear-flank downdraft (RFD) damage occurred south of the F3 tornado that plowed through the area just north of Stoughton (Dane Co.). Numerous large trees were uprooted or had broken large branches. Several power-lines were damaged.
April 1994Thunderstorm WindStoughton$50,000no account filed
March 2022Thunderstorm WindStoughton$40,000A swath of straight-line wind damage of downed trees, limbs, and power lines. Some trees fell on roofs of homes. Some homes had damage to the shingles and facia. A camper was rolled. The greatest concentration of damage was on the southwest side of Stoughton.
July 1996Thunderstorm WindStoughton$30,000no account filed
June 2002LightningStoughton$20,000no account filed
April 1997Thunderstorm WindStoughton$15,000no account filed
August 1996Thunderstorm WindStoughton$15,000no account filed
June 2015Thunderstorm WindStoughton$5,000Trees and power lines down at various locations in the city.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindStoughton$5,000Several large trees knocked down by straight line winds.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindStoughton$3,000A tree down on a house.
July 2016Thunderstorm WindStoughton$3,000Numerous large tree branches down on highway 138 just outside of Stoughton.
August 2022Thunderstorm WindStoughton$2,000A couple trees blown down, one of which brought wires down.
September 2012Thunderstorm WindStoughton$2,000A HAM radio operator reported trees and large branches were blown down by damaging thunderstorm wind gusts estimated to be 56 knots (65 mph) 2 miles south-southwest of Stoughton.
September 2012Thunderstorm WindStoughton$2,000A trained spotter reported trees were blown down by damaging thunderstorm wind gusts estimated to be 56 knots (65 mph) 1 mile northeast of Stoughton.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindStoughton$1,000A large tree of a diameter of 15-20 inches down on a road.
September 2010Thunderstorm WindStoughton$1,000A trained spotter reported trees blown down by strong thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 56 knots (65 mph) along a path from Stoughton to Deerfield. A 3-foot diameter tree fell on a truck in Stoughton. Damage amount is estimated.
July 1999Thunderstorm WindStoughton$1,000no account filed
July 1997Thunderstorm WindStoughton$1,000no account filed
June 1997Thunderstorm WindStoughton$100no account filed
May 2024HailStoughton-Picture of 1.5 inch diameter hail.
April 2023HailStoughton-Multiple reports of quarter to half dollar size hail in Stoughton and surrounding area.
May 2022HailStoughton-In addition to one inch hail, wind gusts to 45 mph also occurred.
August 2010Thunderstorm WindStoughton-County sheriff deputies reported trees and power lines were blown down by the strong thunderstorm gusts.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindStoughton-Powerful thunderstorm winds gusts knocked down several large trees.
June 2006Tornado (F0)Stoughton-A brief tornado spun up at 1322CST at a location 3.4 miles southwest of Stoughton, just northeast of the intersection of CTH A and Lake Kegonsa Rd. Only some tree and shrub damage was noted and the tornado was rated F0 with winds of 35-63 knots (40-72 mph). The parent thunderstorm eventually moved east and generated another funnel cloud southeast of Stoughton.
July 2006Funnel CloudStoughton-Funnel cloud observed at Highway 51 and County Road B.
May 2004Tornado (F0)Stoughton-An advanced spotter videotaped a tornado that briefly spun up at 1755 CST, 3.3 miles east-southeast of Stoughton (Dane Co.), and dissipated at 1756 CST, 3.8 miles west-northwest of Albion (Dane Co.). The tornado's path was only a mile long and the width was about 25 yards. No damage was reported and this tornado was deemed an F0. The average path width was about 25 yards.
June 1995Thunderstorm WindStoughton-Scattered short lines of severe storms quickly moved northeast through south-central and southeast Wisconsin. As usual, the powerful winds in these severe storms downed many large trees, or directly damaged buildings. The Village of Walworth (Walworth County) was hit by a savage wet microburst whose violent winds and golf ball-size hail resulted in considerable property damage estimated at $40,000. Just south of Walworth a large barn had rood damage and was rotated off its foundation. A roof was torn off a Walworth home and some of its debris was carried north only to damage another homes siding and a nearby power line. Elsewhere in the Village of Walworth there was damage to sheds, fences, power poles, roofs, antennas, and flag poles. Lightning struck and injured a 60-year-old man at a Williams Bay (Walworth County) Marina. He was given CPR, treated at a local hospital, and was released. Powerful winds blew southwest of Beaver Dam (Dodge County), resulting in $20,000 in damage to power lines, large trees, skirting on nine mobile homes, and a porch on a home. Lightning struck a home in Franklin (Milwaukee County) and started a fire which did about $8,000 in damage to the roof and attic. The lightning strikes in Racine County only did minor damage to roofs on a couple homes. Elsewhere, the powerful winds generated by the severe storms also knocked down many large trees in Waterford (Racine County); Waupan and Fond cu Lac (Fond du Lac County); and near Stoughton (Dane County).
April 2025HailStoughton-no account filed
April 2025HailStoughton-no account filed
September 2021HailStoughton-no account filed
May 2012HailStoughton-no account filed
May 2012HailStoughton-no account filed
July 2010Funnel CloudStoughton-no account filed
June 2008HailStoughton-no account filed
June 2008Funnel CloudStoughton-no account filed
June 2006Funnel CloudStoughton-no account filed
May 2006Thunderstorm WindStoughton-no account filed
August 2006HailStoughton-no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindStoughton-no account filed
May 2005HailStoughton-no account filed
May 2004HailStoughton-no account filed
May 2004HailStoughton-no account filed
June 2003Thunderstorm WindStoughton-no account filed
July 2002Thunderstorm WindStoughton-no account filed
April 2001Thunderstorm WindStoughton-no account filed
May 2001HailStoughton-no account filed
July 1995Thunderstorm WindStoughton-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Dane County

Map coverage status

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.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

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.

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 85000577 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia articleCommunity-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Dane CountyAll 238 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

  • Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
  • Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
  • How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.