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Crownover wins restoration awards for Brisbane House in Arena, WI

I [Samantha Becker Crownover ’91, MA’94] restored an important stone house in Arena, WI, just 30 miles west of Madison. Over 150 craftspeople and volunteers helped. It’s on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. It was built by a southern abolitionist in 1968, and I fully restored it in 2021. It now accommodates overnight guests. The art on the inside is also of national importance and is exclusively by artists of color.

I won a Preservation Award from the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation in 2022. I have also just won the 2023 Restoration Award from the Board of Curators at the Wisconsin State Historical Society.

I invite you to check out my website, Brisbanehouse.net, and follow the links on the reviews page that take you to a Madison Magazine article and also one from the Isthmus.

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William Walter Beyer passed away in Midlothian, VA, on January 20. 2026. William studied history as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow and his studies were focused on economic history, finance, and international economics. William served as a commissioned Fo...