Honoring Our Heritage: The Deere-Wiman House Campaign
The places worth saving are those where communities choose to come together.

Deere-Wiman House tells the Deere families’ stories with tours of the home in which four generations lived. Designed by renowned architect William Le Baron Jenney in 1872, the interior offers a rare glimpse into the families’ lives, unique Victorian-era architectural details, and turn-of-the-century mechanical innovations rarely found today. Active support of artistic, charitable, cultural, and educational endeavors come through free meeting space for more than 200 local groups and organizations and arts and cultural programming for the entire family, most at low or no cost.

Pattie Wiman, wife of Charles Deere Wiman, willed the site to the William Butterworth Foundation in 1976 to join Butterworth Center in supporting community services, arts and culture, and lifelong learning. The Foundation accepted the gift to save this significant site, although her estate included no additional funds for its operation.
After more than 50 years of public use during which the Foundation invested millions of dollars, the time came to make a large investment in the property. Thanks to generous donors, funds raised will restore interiors, exteriors, and grounds, provide better community use and accessibility, and water mitigation. Your donations preserve Deere-Wiman House as an important Quad Cities resource and join others to restore this irreplaceable historic, architectural, and cultural resource for the Quad Cities to  its original glory.

 Completed Projects

hand-stencil tulip pattern
hand-stencil tulip pattern
restoration of the vestibule
crowd next to restored vestibule
Alt text: A photo of three golden and cream curtains, tied back in the middle to show the leaded art glass windows. A closeup of the larkspur pattern on the curtain.
crowd next to restored vestibule

The previous silk curtains were not repairable. The new curtains have a large, repeating pattern of the larkspur flower on it. You can admire the larkspur on the drapery while peering through the windows at the larkspur blooming in the Deere-Wiman Formal Garden.

The living room carpet was well worn after hosting thousands of national and international visitors; the ceiling plaster work needed repair, and the wooden paneling needed repairs and waxing.
The living room carpet was well worn after hosting thousands of national and international visitors; the ceiling plaster work needed repair, and the wooden paneling needed repairs and waxing.

Thanks to donors, the repaired and restored vestibule, with original hand-stencil tulip pattern, was unveiled in December 2023. Executive Director Heather Calvert and Conservator Anthony Kartsonas present the vestibule.

The previous silk curtains were not repairable. The new curtains have a large, repeating pattern of the larkspur flower on it. You can admire the larkspur on the drapery while peering through the windows at the larkspur blooming in the Deere-Wiman Formal Garden.

Projects in Progress

before restoration second floor Sitting Room
part of a hand painted pink and red rose is visible after paneling was removed.
before restoration second floor Sitting Room
before restoration second floor Sitting Room