The Lincoln-Tallman Museum, built in 1857, is a high-styled Italianate house with great historical importance: it hosted Abraham Lincoln in 1859 and offered shelter for travelers on the Underground Railroad. Rather than sell the property, the original owners  turned  it  over  to  the  Janesville  Historical Society for preservation.

For over 50 years, the building had no heat.  Fortunately, the interior finishes suffered minimal damage.  But the inclusion of a mechanical system,  of which the house had none, required a great deal of thought.  The  challenge  was  to  maintain  the integrity and character of  the  interior  while  installing ductwork and diffusers. The home  is  now successfully climate-controlled with little evidence that the mechanical systems even exist.