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The is nothing like it anywhere! Historic Milwaukee, Incorporated is an active group dedicated to the history of Milwaukee, and not just to the preservation of Milwaukee's architectural gems but to the celebration and general enjoyment of those gems. Two major events each year allow thousands of folks to enjoy them. The two annual events are Doors Open Milwaukee in September and the Spaces & Traces neighborhood tour each May. (I actually participated in a couple of the Spaces & Traces tours many years ago, as a member of a club, providing vintage automobiles to add a touch of authenticity to the subject neighborhood, but I digress.) Spaces & Traces has been a part of Milwaukee for 34 years. In 2015, Spaces & Traces returned to Layton Boulevard. Over a century ago, 27th Street was way out in the country, a part of the old Town of Wauwatosa. It was the site of a celery farm and summer homes for well-to-do Milwaukeeans. As the city grew outward, this stretch of 27th Street became Layton Boulevard and was supposed to be the new Gold Coast for Milwaukee. Some spectacular homes were built on Layton Boulevard but it never developed as such. Like its counterpart to the east, the area developed into an ethnicity diverse neighborhood with a myriad of churches and styles of homes. Some participants in this year's Spaces & Traces opened up their homes, allowing us a glimpse into life in the neighborhood in the early 20th Century. A home designed by Milwaukee's prolific architect, Alexander C. Eschweiler, was open on Layton Boulevard. Severely damaged by a 2002 fire and by fire fighter efforts to save it, the home is being lovingly restored by descendants of the second owner. The fire company that helped save the house is a block away and was also open for touring! The School Sisters of St. Francis were kind enough to open their facility, including tours of their chapels, one being the location of a talk by noted local historian, John Gurda, who gave us an informative talk about the growth, ethnicity and development of Layton Boulevard and the nearby Silver City neighborhood. Also open for touring this year were two of the six Frank Lloyd Wright designed American System homes. Wright envisioned several homes for moderate income American families. He advocated the construction of homes off site and assembled at the build site. Unlike a prefabricated home, Wright advocated the cutting and fabrication of components at a factory, then shipping them to the site for assembly. He claimed this "American System" would cut waste and reduce labor costs by requiring fewer craftsmen at the job site. Only a few examples of his American System Homes were built, including these rare structures on Burnham Street. As always, there were far more properties open than is (likely) possible for one person to tour, but what I did see, and learn about Milwaukee, was well worth my effort. Here's a thank you callout to our Yelp rep, Rachel F., for opening the Yelp connection with Historic Milwaukee! Thanks to Historic Milwaukee, to the hundreds of volunteers, Frank Lloyd Wright Wisconsin and especially thanks to the owners who opened their doors to us to see into the past. Don't miss Spaces & Traces next year - and I'll be looking for you at Doors Open Milwaukee in September! read more
