OSHKOSH (NBC 26) – The owners of The Corbett House, Katy and Tim Neubauer, received an award for the care they took in restoring their 19th century home in Oshkosh.
- The Corbett House was built in 1891 by architect William Waters
- The Neubauers bought the house in 2021 and restored it together with their seven children
- The couple posted their progress on social media, gaining a local following.
Tim and Katy Neubauer worked very hard to spend time together in their living room.
“It was a lot harder than I expected,” says Tim. “I almost wanted to give up.”
The couple purchased the Corbett House on Washington Avenue in 2021, hoping to have enough space to accommodate their family of nine.
“It’s almost like building your own legacy,” says Tim.
The house was named after Dr. Corbett, who previously lived in the house. Dr. Corbett founded Lakeside Hospital, which eventually became Mercy Hospital.
The Corbett House was built in 1891 by noted Fox Cities architect William Waters.
“Our goal was to preserve this so that it would last another 100 years or so,” says Tim.
Tim and Katy purchased the house and the other two properties on the property.
For the next three years, Tim says they spent all their free time renovating their future home.
“Everything was much more difficult, everything cost four times what we expected, so we're not quite finished yet,” he says.
Tim and Katy and their children have posted videos online that document the renovation process. They have built a large local following on social media, with millions of views and thousands of followers.
“We really didn’t expect it to be popular,” Katy says.
In October, the Winnebago County Historical Society presented Katy and Tim with the Clarence J. Jungwirth Historian Award, given to community members who have made a special effort to preserve Oshkosh's history.
According to Tim and Katy, the family encountered many hurdles, including the theft of over $13,000 worth of tools.
And although Tim says they wouldn't recommend a similar project to anyone, the couple is glad they took it on.
“I try to get the kids outside and get them to learn and appreciate the value of hard work,” he says.
The couple did everything necessary to make the space livable by the holidays and finally moved in October 2024. They say there is still a lot to do, but they can now sleep in Corbett House.
“I just hope that when our kids grow up they look back and see how cool that was,” Tim says.