Tea & Tales: The Women Behind Villa Louis

Name: Tea & Tales: The Women Behind Villa Louis
Start: 2026-05-23T13:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-05-23T14:30:00-05:00
Location: 230 N Water St, Prairie du Chien, WI 53821-1335, United States

Schedule

Sat May 23 2026 at 01:00 pm to 02:30 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

230 N Water St, Prairie du Chien, WI 53821-1335, United States | Prairie Du Chien, WI

𝘼𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙏𝙚𝙖 & 𝙑𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙇𝙤𝙪𝙞𝙨 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣’𝙨 𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮
Join us for a delightful afternoon of tea and conversation as author Mary Elise Antoine discusses her new book, An Elegant Edifice: The Women Who Forged a Legacy at Villa Louis. Enter the Dousman House Hotel—named after the prominent Villa Louis owners who shaped the lives of many Prairie du Chien residents—and learn more about the three generations of Dousman women—Jane, Nina, Virginia, and Violet—whose lives contributed greatly to the preservation of this grand Gilded Age estate. Enjoy tea and sweet treats as you learn more about the historic estate and its inhabitants.
Tea & Tales will take place at the Dousman Hotel. Guests interested in exploring Villa Louis can purchase a General Admission ticket to tour the site. Books will be available for sale with a chance for Mary Elise to autograph your book after her talk.
Interested in more Villa Louis History? Join us before Tea & Tales for another free experience, What’s Under the Villa Louis, where Wisconsin State Archaeologist Amy Rosebrough takes guests on a millennia-spanning journey covering 14,000 years of history beneath one of the Badger State’s most treasured sites. What’s Under the Villa Louis occurs from 10:30 AM–12:00 PM on Saturday, May 23.

𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗻 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲
An Elegant Edifice tells the stories of the women of the Dousman residence. Jane, who outlived her husband by fourteen years, oversaw the estate and maintained the family’s presence in Prairie du Chien. Jane’s daughter-in-law, Nina, managed the property and assumed the role of head of the family following her husband’s death, ensuring stability for her children during times of tragedy. Finally, Nina’s daughters Violet and Virginia helped to restore the family home in the 1930s, secure its future as a historic site, and record the Dousmans’ history for posterity.
An Elegant Edifice illustrates the broad strokes of American expansionism through the backgrounds and activities of these influential women, complete with marriages and separations, births and deaths, business disputes, lawsuits, and reconciliations.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝗹𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
A conversation with Mary Elise Antoine about her new history novel An Elegant Edifice: The Women Who Forged a Legacy at Villa Louis, including an author Q&A
New information about Villa Louis through the eyes of the women of the household
Tea, water and sweet treats will be served

𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁
Free and open to the public
Book tickets: https://wihist.org/4cf4HkN

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Villa Louis served as a comfortable and stylish country estate for three generations of the Dousman family—a family that built its fortune from early American frontier opportunities such as land and transportation investments. Hercules L. Dousman began development of the site during the 1840s on the banks of the Mississippi River in Prairie du Chien. The property has since expanded into a 25-acre complex complete with historic structures and archaeological remains that reference the early history of the site. Upon the death of Hercules in 1868, widow Jane Dousman and son H. Louis Dousman contracted Milwaukee architect E. Townsend Mix to build the stately mansion that now rests at the heart of the property. In addition to the new residence, H. Louis expanded the site to include a farm for breeding and racing horses. After Louis’ death, Nina Dousman raised their children at Villa Louis, and the property remained under family ownership until it was given to the City of Prairie du Chien in 1935. In 1950, Villa Louis became property of the Wisconsin Historical Society and opened to the public in 1952.
Prior to Dousman ownership, Indigenous natives lived on the Villa Louis grounds over 2000 years ago. For centuries, Native Nations of the upper Mississippi gathered upon the island to trade among themselves until the fur trade brought French-speaking traders in contact with Indigenous tribesmen and women. The trade also attracted free Black settlers to Prairie du Chien. Additionally, officers and agents of the United States brought enslaved men and women to the prairie, some of whom lived at Fort Crawford and other structures that once stood on land that is now part of Villa Louis State Historic Site. Research and restorations continue to fully expand the story of these early residents and events.
The Dousman House Hotel
230 N Water St
Prairie du Chien, WI 53821

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗚𝗼
Doors to this free experience open at 1 PM. The event will take place at The Dousman House Hotel (230 N Water St, Prairie du Chien, WI 53821).
Sweet treats, tea and water will be served from 1 PM to 1:30 PM.
The program will begin promptly at 1:30 PM and last 45 minutes with 15 minutes for a Q&A period.
Because of the historic nature of the buildings, not all areas are ADA accessible.
Guests with additional mobility needs are encouraged to contact the site directly at 608-326-2721 or [email protected].

𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀?
For more information, please contact the box office at 608-264-4848 or [email protected].