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Juneau Highlands Residential Historic District facts for kids

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Juneau Highlands Residential Historic District
Juneau Highlands HD Nov2011.jpg
Juneau Highlands Residential Historic District
Location West Allis, Wisconsin
NRHP reference No. 11000116
Added to NRHP March 21, 2011

The Juneau Highlands Residential Historic District is a special neighborhood in West Allis, Wisconsin. It's known for its beautiful old homes built between 1928 and 1952. This area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011 because of its important history and unique architecture.

A Look Back: How the Neighborhood Grew

This neighborhood started to grow after a big industrial company, Allis-Chalmers, moved to West Allis. This move created many new jobs in the area. Because of this, more people needed places to live. The homes in Juneau Highlands were built to meet this need, mostly from the late 1920s through the early 1950s.

Unique Street Design

One cool thing about Juneau Highlands is its streets. Unlike most of West Allis, which has straight, block-like streets, this district has curving roads. This design makes the neighborhood feel different and gives it a special charm.

Popular Home Styles

Most of the houses in Juneau Highlands were built in popular styles from the 1920s and 1930s. These are often called "period revival" styles. This means they were designed to look like older, traditional European or American homes.

Bungalow Homes

Many homes here are bungalows. These are usually smaller, cozy houses, often with one or one-and-a-half stories. They often have a low-pitched roof.

  • For example, the Lajsich home, built in 1928, is a bungalow with a hip roof. This type of roof slopes down on all four sides.
  • Another bungalow, the Galle house from 1928, has "clipped gables." This means the top point of the roof's triangular end is slightly cut off.

Tudor Revival Style

You'll also see many homes in the Tudor Revival style. These houses often look like old English cottages. They might have steep roofs, tall chimneys, and decorative half-timbering (wood strips on the outside walls).

  • The Pfeiffer house, built in 1929, is a great example of a Tudor Revival home.
  • The Janowski home, built in 1931, is a larger, two-and-a-half-story Tudor Revival house.

Other Interesting Styles

  • Some homes are in the Colonial Revival style, which looks like traditional American colonial houses. The Brandon home, built in 1929, is one such example.
  • The Schwinn house, built in 1929, is a Mediterranean Revival style home. These often have low-pitched tile roofs and stucco walls, making them look like houses from countries around the Mediterranean Sea.
  • The Jacobs house, built in 1932, is in the French Provincial style. These homes often have a charming, rustic look inspired by French country houses.

Why These Styles?

It's interesting to note that you won't find older architectural styles in Juneau Highlands, like Carpenter Gothic or Queen Anne. This shows how much building styles follow fashion. When this neighborhood was built, these newer "period revival" styles were very popular.

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