Early in 1994 a newsletter of what was then called the Courthouse Neighborhood Association put out a call for "gathering and compiling historical information on individual homes in the area in preparation for nomination as an historic neighborhood." Compiling oral histories of the homes in the area along with providing descriptions of the homes were steps being taken to preserve the neighborhood.
Included in that newsletter was the Courthouse Walking Tour Map produced in 1980 by the Outagamie County Historical Society. The information provided by residents in this latest survey would be used to document homes and to created a new brochure for a home tour.
That first walking tour brochure was created in 1994, even before the new neighborhood association was officially incorporated. Some of the homes on that tour are no longer standing, for instance 429 W. Sixth St.
The first home tour was held in September of 1998. It featured the homes at 330 W. Sixth St. ("The Tailor's House"), 312 W. Prospect Ave. ("The Artist's House"), 325 W. Prospect Ave. "(The Mayor's House"), and 602 S. Walnut St. ("The Gentleman Farmer's House").
In 1999 a second tour was held. This time the four featured homes were 315 W. Prospect Ave., 621 W. Fifth St., 507 W. Prospect Ave., and 410 W. Prospect Ave.
By the time the 2000 home tour rolled around the tour had been expanded to include 4 homes: "The Judge's House: 707 S. State St., The Merchant's House: 505 S. State St., The Sheriff's House: 303 S. Walnut, and The Brewery Worker's House: 523 W. Eighth St., plus garden tours at 621 W. Fifth and 409 S. Walnut.
