Germantown Historical Society - Wisconsin

Home
United States
Germantown, WI
Germantown Historical Society - Wisconsin

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

The Germantown Historical Society occupies a group of three buildings, all situated at a small cross

10/14/2026

Top Log Layer Being Installed

This week the top layer of logs is being installed on the rear display annex.
The second picture shows how tightly the corner logs still fit after 160 years.
The third picture shows how the logs were identified before disassembly and now reassembly. The notation R5A means the log is on the right-side wall, 5 layers up, and the first log from the front corner. That was its home from the 1860's and now is still there today for future generations to see up close.

BTW, I did not notice the bright white glow behind the cross until I looked at the picture. I hope it is a positive omen.

10/12/2026

Smiling Faces
As I walked the grounds at Oktoberfest I noticed so many smiling faces. It is hard to get a seat close the dog races, but this close up of the crowd shows so many smiling faces I thought I would share it with you.
And here is a close up of one of the dogs. He appears to be flying to the finish line. Maybe we need to check the rule book to see if flying is allowed. Either way, it was a lot of fun to watch.

10/07/2026

Civil War Dedication Ceremony

In case you missed it, there was a Civil War Dedication Ceremony at 1 PM on Sunday during Oktoberfest. The speaker acknowledged the sacrifice made by the Civil War veterans who are buried at the Christ Church Cemetery. Also, a prayer was said, a Civil War cannon was fired, and an honor guard fired rounds and played taps.
About 100 people attended the ceremony.
Thanks to all who participated, or paid their respects, or sacrificed for their country,

09/30/2026

Oktoberfest 2026 is in the Record Books

This past weekend the Germantown Historical Society put on the biggest party Germantown has seen for quite a while.
It was a huge success due to great weather, and over 100 volunteers serving their community. As I walked the grounds I saw so many smiling faces and people really enjoying the festivities.
Thanks to the many people who made this great event possible.
2026 Oktoberfest will be remembered by many for a long time.
Prost !!!

09/18/2026

The Reconstruction Has Begun

The first logs have been put in place for the Christ Church Display Annex. When finished it will display vintage fam implements and tools used by Germantown's first pioneer settlers.
But the log structure is an artifact all by itself. Original logs from a Germantown Civil War era home on Donges Bay Rd.

Check it out at our Oktoberfest event, Sept. 26 and 27.

09/10/2026

Civil War Memorial Dedication Confirmed

The Christ Church Cemetery located at Dheinsville will have the Civil War Memorial Dedication ceremony on Sunday, September 27, at 1 PM. There may be two Civil War cannons, an Honor Guard, and a prayer to remember the soldiers who served from Germantown who are buried in this cemetery.

This is not meant to be a reenactment event, but rather a solemn
ceremony to honor these Civil War veterans. However, the public is welcome to attend. This ceremony will be happening simultaneously while our Oktoberfest event will be happening in Dheinsville Historical Park, which is across the street from the Park.

So, if you are attending the Oktoberfest festivities and then choose to attend the memorial dedication, please show respect for the occassion.

Before and after the ceremony the Christ Church Museum of Local History will be open free of charge. The congregation began in 1842, and the current church was built in 1862. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as an example of how Wisconsin was settled in the 1840's with small hamlets which generally had a church in the middle of the community.

08/31/2026

GOOD NEWS
The new roundabout at Fond du Lac and Division Rd. has been completed ahead of time. It looks great and is now open to the public to use. This will help traffic flow approaching Dheinsville where our Oktoberfest event is held Sept 26 and 27.

08/26/2026

CIVIL WAR MEMORIAL INSTALLED
The permanent memorial has now been installed at Christ Church Cemetery. Due to scheduling problems, the exact date of the dedication ceremony is still not confirmed.

08/23/2026

Civil War Memorial
The Christ Church Cemetery in Dheinsville is one of the oldest cemeteries in Washington County. During the Civil War Germantown had several young men serve in the Union Army.
Nine of those veterans are buried at the Christ Church Cemetery.

On Sunday, September 13th at 11 AM those nine veterans will be honored by the Civil War Committee from the Veterans Service Office in West Bend with a short dedication ceremony. The permanent memorial stone is sponsored by Ken Miller in thankfulness to those who serve.

People interested in honoring these veterans are welcome.

07/31/2026

Logs Delivered to Dheinsville

Today, the selected logs that we need to begin the reconstruction of the Loos log cabin as our new museum annex were delivered to Dheinsville from their Donges Bay location. Some logs still remain at Donges Bay as our back up logs if needed.

Mike Krasinski did a great job of securing sets of logs with metal strapping and then transporting them carefully to the Dheinsville job site. The logs vary in length from 32 feet to as small as 4 feet. But every one of them is very solid and heavy. They measure about
8 inches wide and 12 inches tall.

Soon the new display annex will start taking shape, but this process will be slow and deliberate so the final structure will be solid and authentic, so people can enjoy it for many generations yet to come.

Address

N128W18780 Holy Hill Rd
Germantown, WI
53022

Opening Hours

12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+12626283170

Website

http://Www.germantownhistoricalsociety.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Germantown Historical Society - Wisconsin posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Germantown Historical Society - Wisconsin:

Want your organization to be the top-listed non profit organization in Germantown?