Garden Homes Historic District (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Garden Homes Historic District
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 Location in Wisconsin
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
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| Area | 29 acres (12 ha) |
| Built | 1921-1923 |
| Architect | William Schuchardt |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000669 |
| Added to NRHP | May 4, 1990 |
The Garden Homes Historic District in Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a special neighborhood. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. This means it's an important place in history. It was home to the country's first public housing project. This project started in 1923 under Mayor Daniel Hoan. The idea was to create affordable homes for workers. It was a new way to help people find good places to live.
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Building a Community: The Story of Garden Homes
The idea for Garden Homes began around 1910. Milwaukee's first socialist mayor, Emil Seidel, wanted to build low-cost homes for workers. He lost the election in 1912. But the city's second socialist mayor, Daniel Hoan, continued the plan. He wanted to help with Milwaukee's housing shortage.
Why Milwaukee Needed More Homes
Milwaukee was growing fast because of its factories. Many people moved there for jobs. This caused a shortage of homes. Things got even worse during World War I. New housing construction was stopped to save materials for the war. Milwaukee could not get help from the government. This was because the housing problem started before the war.
A New Idea: Cooperative Housing
After the war, Milwaukee's housing leaders had a new idea. They proposed a cooperative housing project. This meant people would work together to own the homes. The project was funded in a special way. People could buy "preferred stock" in the Garden Homes Project. City and county governments bought some of this stock. Other investors could buy it too.
The people who lived in the homes would buy "common stock." This stock was equal to the value of their home. They would pay a small amount down. Then, they would make payments for 20 years. These payments included interest, taxes, and upkeep. After 20 years, the preferred stock would be paid off. Then, the people living there would own the whole project. They could then choose to own their individual homes.
Inspired by Garden Cities
This idea came from England. A man named Ebenezer Howard wrote about "garden cities" in 1900. These were planned communities with green spaces. About 60 similar housing groups started in England by 1919. Some streets in Garden Homes were even named after English garden cities. These included Ealing, Hampstead, Port Sunlight, Bournville, and Letchworth.
Building the Homes
Construction began in 1921. It was finished by 1923. They planned to build 162 homes. But only 105 homes in 93 buildings were built. This was because they could not sell enough stock to private investors. Still, all 105 homes were quickly filled. There were 700 people who wanted to live there!
Challenges and Changes
Soon, problems began. There were legal fights about the project joining the city. This delayed street improvements. After joining the city, residents were charged for street and sewer work. Many thought their monthly payments already covered this. There were also arguments about the true cost of the homes. Residents also worried about what would happen if they improved their homes. They wondered if they would own them individually later.
By 1925, a new law allowed the homes to be sold, not just leased. The Garden Homes project leaders then ended the cooperative. This allowed the residents to buy their homes. It took about ten years to sell all the homes. There were still arguments about taxes. By the late 1930s, only 40 percent of the first residents still lived there. Even with all the problems, the project paid all its bills. By the 1920s, the streets were renamed to fit Milwaukee's street names. For example, Port Sunlight Way became part of North Twenty-sixth Street.
The Historic District Today
The Garden Homes Historic District still includes all 93 original buildings. These buildings have 105 housing units. It also includes the original Garden Homes park. This is a green space on North Twenty-sixth Street.
The buildings all look similar. This helped save money when they were built. They used one of nine main designs. They changed them by reversing the floor plans. They also switched from front to side gables. The houses are two stories tall. They are rectangular cottages. They have a simple Colonial Revival style. Today, the Garden Homes Neighborhood Association is working to make the neighborhood beautiful again.
