Matz Farmstead Ruins - Home

3D Model

Taken at Dane County Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area in Cross Plains, WI

Picturesque and haunting, these 160-year-old stone ruins on top of a bluff are the only remains of a settler’s legacy.

FIRST SETTLED IN 1840, CROSS Plains, Wisconsin is a small town approximately 15 miles west of Madison, the state capital city. Situated nearby are the remnants of the Matz Farmstead, which consists of two desolate stone structures, the only remains of German-born settler Friedrich Matz’s built legacy.

Located in the Dane County Halfway Prairie Wildlife Area, these two structures are evidence of early Cross Plains history. In 1842, the village had a total of 13 people. Ten years later, the Matz farmstead was first homesteaded.

Ten years after returning from the Civil War, Matz built the house. He lived there with his wife, Katherina, their son and daughter-in-law, and their grandchildren. Unfortunately, the house burned down in 1949, leaving only the stone parts of the house.