Coles Bashford House was the home of Coles Bashford, who served from 1856 to 1858 as the first Republican Governor of Wisconsin. It was built in 1855, a year after the Republican Party came into being as an avowed opponent to the further extension of slavery in the territories of the United States. After 1875, the house was no longer in Bashford’s possession. In 1911, it became the property of trustees authorized by the will of Elizabeth Batchelder Davis to provide and maintain perpetually a home for children needing shelter and care. Now known as the Elizabeth Batchelder Davis Childrens’ Home, the residence remains dedicated to its beneficent mission.