Anderson Arts Center

Description

The home of James and Janet Anderson was built from1929-1931 amid the depression. Fronting Lake Michigan on 4.7 acres, it was a true French Renaissance revival style home with over thirty rooms. James was an executive of the American Brass Company, and Janet was the daughter of Andrew Lance, a Simmon’s Company Executive. When constructed, the home was valued at $139,144 and today is estimated to be more than $2.5 million dollars. When the family donated the property to Kenosha County, it was repurposed to be a community-oriented arts center.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the work included the restoration of gallery spaces and the installation of a minimalist track system to hang artwork without compromising the original walls. The existing general lighting system was retrofitted with all-new LED lighting that improved the overall lighting experience, reducing unwanted heat gain, and will save operational costs.

Anderson Arts Center could not display all the art exhibits they sought because the building had no air conditioning or humidity control. The Anderson Art Center needed an HVAC system controlling the environment to specific standards to obtain museum accreditation. Achieving the desired museum accreditation while maintaining the historical integrity of the building was a challenging project requirement. Because a typical rooftop HVAC system would compromise the historical features of the building, Kenosha County and the project team opted to install a 22-well geothermal closed-loop system with heat pumps. Exterior work included restoration of the wood windows and shutters, repairs and corrective work on the copper gutters and downspouts, and removal and replacement of the slate tile roof.