It might be that the home was a lumber baron's personal interpretation of what a proper mansion should look like.

Or it might already be one of the 15,463 homes listed in the National Registry of Historic Places in Wisconsin.

What it will be is one of 20. That is the number decided upon by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press to be included in a book — "Wisconsin's Own" — about "Wisconsin's magnificent residential legacy that grew from the land and its resources."

To find the representative 20 out of thousands and thousands of houses in the state, the society will tap the historical expertise of its staff, the writing talents and skill of noted publishing duo M. Caren Connolly and Louis Wasserman, and the pocketbook of the Jeffris Family Foundation, of Janesville.

The Jeffris foundation has been matching dollar for dollar, and providing outright grants, for restoration efforts around Wisconsin for nearly 20 years. Its list of projects weaves a web of preservation in every geographical and cultural corner, from the Stoughton Opera House to the Fairlawn Mansion in Superior.

Connolly and her partner, Louis Wasserman, are a Milwaukee-based team with 10 years' writing experience on topics architectural, including books on cottages, bungalows and ranch homes.

Since the Jeffris foundation is providing a $250,000 grant to publish the book, does that give any of the Jeffris restoration projects a step up for inclusion in the chosen 20?

"There is no guarantee," said Kathy Borkowski, director of the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. "We are pulling together ideas of how we are going to select, the authors are contacting their friends and putting feelers out there," she said, adding there are likely a couple of "givens," such as Villa Louis, or Wingspread in Racine.

"We will decide as a group, come together with the staff, historical preservationists, and really look at how the houses fit in terms of geographic diversity, style of house. Everything is wide open," she said.

Publishing a book of this type is an expensive proposition, so Jeffris underwriting will make it affordable, Borkowski hopes.

A photographer has yet to be chosen for the project, she said.

Connolly invited suggestions. Once reviewed, "we'll have a big pinup session, with possibly 100 candidates, and go over the pros and cons," Connolly said.

She and Wasserman warmed to the book's topic because "Wisconsin is a very diverse state, with lots of natural resources. ... What we would like to draw on are houses that exploit, in the best sense of that word, those things."

She emphasized the cultural aspect of a significant house, something that makes a house a home.

Does she have a favorite example?

"Yes, the one where I raised my children," she said.

SUGGEST A HOUSE

Do you have a suggestion for a house to be included in "Wisconsin's Own?"

The Wisconsin Historical Society and authors M. Caren Connolly and Louis Wasserman are looking for house nominations for the book, to be published in 2010, of "historically and architecturally significant homes."

Suggestions can be sent by email to:

Some of the criteria:

• The best in aesthetic and artistic residential architecture.

• Represent Wisconsin architecture history, innovation and influence.

• Have a special and contributing social, technological, industrial or historical story.

• Representative of diverse residential types.

• Representative of diverse indigenous landscape and natural resources.