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2018 home tours take visitors all over the state
Home tours scheduled this year are sprinkled throughout the state, giving tourgoers opportunities to take road trips into areas they might not otherwise visit. ❚ There are Christmas tours in Hudson and the artist’s community of Monches, a tour that features remodeled homes throughout Southeastern Wisconsin, and tours of historic homes in Waukesha and Milwaukee. There is even a house and garden tour in Door County. ❚ As in past years, there is also plenty of variety in the styles, sizes and amenities in the homes to be featured. And this year, many of the tours have interesting themes.
One example of a unique historic home is the Breast Cancer Showhouse.
Kay Brogelman, historian for the showhouse, located at 1363 N. Prospect Ave., said the cream city brick Victorian/Gothic style home was built in 1877 and was one of the first homes built in an area once called the gold coast.
“Many cities had areas called gold coasts, and they were so named for the opulent mansions built by the wealthy,” she said. “It was sort of the showcase for the rich and famous. Once the mansions started disappearing or became run-down as the wealthy died or moved,” the name faded.
Brogelman said the home measures 9,400 square feet and is owned by Amy and Ken Brengel, who purchased it in 2002 and “are very much into preserving it for future generations as a valuable piece of history.”
From the outside, tourgoers will be able to see twin chimney stacks and a unique roofline with spires, dormers, a turret, bay windows and a front-facing gable.
“The interior has leaded-glass windows with beautiful floral and geometric motifs; coffered and open-beamed ceilings; a staircase with spindles and a banister and ornate molding. The third-floor ceiling and walls have over 60 different angles due to the unusual roofline,” she said.
Sheri Shokler, office manager at Frank Lloyd Wright Wisconsin, said this year’s Wright and Like tour will feature Wright-era homes in the Spring Green and Richland Center areas.
“This is the first time the A.D. German Warehouse (a Frank Lloyd Wright designed building that is generally considered to resemble a Mayan Temple) in Richland Center has been on the tour, and we have six private homes and all are by Wright apprentices,” she said.
“Five of these homes have never been on our tour before, and one of the homes was originally the Spring Green Autobank, and its new owners have transformed it into a tiny house retreat,” she said.
On Milwaukee’s west side in the Historic Concordia Neighborhood, tourgoers will be able to see nine historic homes, three of which have never been open to the public, said Sally Maddick, the 2018 tour coordinator.
In addition to having lots of unique architectural elements, the homes are all related to art in
some way.
“There may have been residents living in the homes at one time that were noted artists, and there are also some homes in which artists currently live,” she said.
“The late Elsa Ulbricht’s home is on the tour. She resided in this neighborhood her whole life, and the story about her is incredible. Works of her art are going to be featured in an exhibit at the Haggerty museum as well as at her former home.”
In Wauwatosa’s Historical Society Tour, all the homes have been repurposed in some way, said Natalie Wysong, executive director of the society.
One example is “an Eschweiler building that was originally used as an engineering building but is in the process of being converted into a home.”
Chris Vogel, home tour chair, said another was turned into “a multigenerational home for the homeowners so that they could age in place,” and that dramatic changes were made to the home, which was built in 1878 and moved in the 1920s.
“It was dramatically enlarged, and the upper level was turned into three suites,” she said.
Following is a list of home tours scheduled for this year. Some may not have all their tour information included on their websites yet. Watch for updates.
Watch for additional tours listed in the Sunday Fresh section or online at jsonline.com/fresh.
MAY
37th Annual Spaces & Traces Featuring Walker’s Point: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 12. Tour nine homes and nine commercial properties. The tour is presented by Historic Milwaukee Inc. Tickets are $20 for HMI members, nonmembers pay $25, and volunteers pay $10. Tickets are available online at historic milwaukee.org, Milwaukee-area Colectivo locations and Winkie’s Toys & Variety store in Whitefish Bay. Event headquarters are at The Lynde & Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School, 700 S. 4th St., where tour booklets can be picked up.
Events included in the cost of the tour are a talk titled “The Hidden History of LGBT Milwaukee” with author Michail Takach, scheduled for at 11:30 a.m. at 801 S. 2nd St.
Historian John Gurda will also give a talk titled “Walker’s Point: Milwaukee’s Oldest Neighborhood” at 2 p.m. It will be at Holy Trinity-Our Lady of Guadalupe Church at 613 S. 4th St. Doors open for this event at 1:30 p.m.
For more information, see the website or call (414) 277-7795.
Waukesha Historic Preservation Days: From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 19 and noon to 4 p.m. May 20. Walking tour of historic homes on the 19th, and tours of the interiors of about two homes on the 20th. Homes will be in Waukesha’s McCall St. historic district and will revisit the E. Broadway Historic District. The tour is free. There will also be events held both days, and most will be free. Hosted by the Waukesha Preservation Alliance and other partner organizations. For more information, see waukeshapreservation.org or call (262) 278-6658.
19th Annual Milwaukee NARI Tour of Remodeled Homes: From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 19 and 20. See more than a dozen recently remodeled homes throughout Southeastern Wisconsin that were completed by NARI (Milwaukee National Association of the Remodeling Industry) members. NARI members will be on hand to answer questions. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 the day of the tour.
There will also be a fundraising event from 6 to 9 p.m. May 18 at the NARI Aurora Cancer House in Pewaukee. This home also was remodeled by a NARI member. Tickets are $150 per person and include hors d’oeuvres, beverages, live music and entry to the May 19 and 20 tours.
For tickets or more information on both events, see milwaukeenari.org or call (414) 771-4071.
JUNE
21st Annual Showhouse For a Cure — 2018 Wisconsin Showhouse: A Victorian/Gothic style cream city brick home at 1363 N. Prospect Ave. that was built
in 1877 will be featured, with the majority of the house redecorated by area designers. Open June 2 to June 17. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. Ticket information is available at breastcancershowhouse.org. (On the website click on “showhouse,” then “tickets.”) Money benefits breast cancer and prostate cancer research at the Medical College of Wisconsin. There will be additional events associated with the tour. For information on them, see the website or call (414) 297-9152.
Wright & Like 2018: Coming Home: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 2. A driving tour of six private homes and three public spaces that are linked to Wright’s life, work and legacy. All are located in the Spring Green and Richland Center areas. Advance tickets are $60 for Wright in Wisconsin members, $70 for non-members, and are available through the website or by calling (608) 287-0339. Day-of-tour tickets are $10 more.
An evening event, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. June 1, titled “A Wright Evening — the Artful Life,” will be held at Tan-y-Deri and the Hillside Theater in Spring Green in conjunction with the tour. Cost is $150 for Wright in Wisconsin members and $175 for nonmembers.
Check the website, wrightinwisconsin.org, for more information.
Both events are sponsored by Frank Lloyd Wright Wisconsin. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote, protect and preserve the heritage of Wright.
28th Historic Concordia Home Tour — Experience Art: Past, Present, Possibilities: From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 16. A self-guided tour of nine historic homes and three historic buildings. The buildings include the Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University, Mobile Design Box UW-Milwaukee School of Architecture & Urban Planning, and Wgema Campus in Potawatomi Business Development Corp. Homes are in the Concordia neighborhood, which is roughly bounded by N. 27th to N. 35th streets and W. Wisconsin Ave. to W. Highland Blvd. Tickets are $17 in advance, $20 the day of the tour. The tour starts at 3136 W. Kilbourn Ave. (Enter from 34th and Kilbourn). Plein air artists will also be in the area.
For more information and advance tickets, see
hcni.org.
JULY
Cedarburg Cultural Center’s 49th Annual Architectural Tour: Tour four historic homes plus historic commercial buildings in the Cedarburg area. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 28 and noon to 4 p.m. July 29. Tickets are good for both days, and tourgoers may start and stop at properties in any order.
Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 the day of the event. Advance tickets may be purchased at the Cedarburg Cultural Center, W62-N546 Washington Ave., during regular hours; online at cedarburg culturalcenter.org or by calling (262) 375-3676. See the website for other ticket outlets. Tickets will be sold the day of the tour at the homes and the cultural center. Cash only at the homes. Funds benefit the cultural center’s art, music and history programming.
58th Annual Door County House and Garden Walk: Tour five homes and their gardens in the Door County area. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 31. Advance tickets are $30, $35 the day of the event. Sponsored by the Door County Medical Center Auxiliary. All proceeds go to the medical center. For more information, including advance tickets, call (920) 746-1071 and ask for Robin.
AUGUST
Greendale Tour of Originals — Walk with Eleanor: Tour about eight Greendale “originals” which were built in the 1930s as part of FDR’s New Deal. All homes are National Historic Landmarks. Sponsored by the Greendale Historical Society. The tour is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug 4. Cost is $15 in advance and $20 day of tour. For more information, contact the Greendale Welcome Center, 5680 Broad St., or call (414) 8810084.
OCTOBER
The Wauwatosa Historical Society Tour of Homes: From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 6. Will feature about six homes in a variety of architectural styles throughout Wauwatosa. Advance tickets (available in August), will be $17 at Wisconsin Garden & Pet, 8520 W. North Ave., and Little Read Book Store, 7603 W. State St. Tickets also can be pre-ordered at wauwatosahistoricalsociety.org for day-of-tour pickup. Day-of-tour tickets are $20, no children under 10. Discounts for historical society members. Proceeds of the tour support the historical society’s preservation and education missions. For more information, see the website or call (414) 774-8672.
NOVEMBER
Christmas Fantasy House: Tour one area home decorated for the holidays by 20-plus interior design professionals. The tour will be held in early November and will run a minimum of five days. Location, dates, times and ticket prices will be determined closer to the date of the event. Money benefits the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southeastern Wisconsin. See christmasfantasyhouse.com.
Christmas Tour of Homes and Craft Sale: Tour three homes and the historic Octagon House in Hudson, all dramatically decorated for the holidays. Tour options include: The “Dazzle Tour,” nighttime tour from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov 16. Traditional tours will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 17 and noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 18. The traditional tours will include optional transportation, and there will be a craft sale from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Nov. 17. Tickets will range from about $23 to $35. Proceeds benefit next year’s tour. Sponsored by the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau. For advance tickets, call (800) 657-6775. For more information, see discoverhudsonwi.com.
36th Annual Monches Artisan Holiday Open House: A free, self-driving tour of about six artists’ shops, studios and specialty farms within a 10-mile radius of the artist community of Monches. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 at most locations. (Interiors of the homes are not open to the public.) Holiday music, bonfires and refreshments at some locations. For information, call Monches Farm at (262) 966-2787; or see monchesartisans.com.
DECEMBER
Lake Mills Holiday Tour of Homes: Tour about four homes in Lake Mills. Homes will range in style from new to historic. From about noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 1. Ticket are $12 in advance, $14 the day of the event.
Advance tickets will be available at the Rock Lake Activity Center, 229 Fremont St., Lake Mills, some area businesses, or through their website at rocklakeac.org. Sponsored by the activity center. Proceeds benefit the center, a nonprofit health and wellness center. For information, see the website or call (920) 945-0156.
Hartford Historical Home Tour: A tour of three historic homes in the Hartford area. From noon to 3 p.m. Dec. 9. Sponsored by the Hartford Historical Society. Proceeds benefit the society. Tickets will be $10 to $15. Check the website later for exact prices and where tickets can be purchased. See hartfordhistorical wi.com or call (262) 673-3232.