Kneeland-Walker House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Kneeland-Walker House
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 Location in Wisconsin
Location in the United States
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| Location | 7406 Hillcrest Dr. Wauwatosa, Wisconsin |
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| Built | 1890 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 88003212 |
| Added to NRHP | January 19, 1989 |
The Kneeland-Walker House is a beautiful old mansion in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. It has three stories and was built way back in 1890. The house is designed in a special style called Queen Anne, with some Shingle style touches. It's still in great shape today! Many people think it's the best example of Queen Anne style in Wauwatosa. Because it's so special, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This means it's an important historical building.
Contents
The Story of the Kneeland-Walker House
Who Built This Amazing House?
The house was built for Norman L. Kneeland. He was born in New York in 1832. After serving in the Civil War, he moved to Wisconsin in 1865. He bought a large farm, about 100 acres, from his father and uncle.
Norman Kneeland was very successful with his farm. In 1889, he sold the land. That area later became Washington Park. Soon after selling his farm, Mr. Kneeland bought six lots on Hillcrest Drive. Back then, this street was called Center Street. That's where he decided to build his grand new home.
What Does the House Look Like?
The Kneeland-Walker House is three stories tall. One corner has a cool three-story tower with an "onion dome" on top. On the west side, there's a covered entrance for carriages called a porte-cochère.
The house sits on a strong limestone foundation. The first floor is covered in brick. The second floor has wooden siding called weatherboard. The third floor is covered in wooden shingles. A large dormer window with a special gambrel roof sits on the front. A tall, fancy chimney rises behind the tower.
Inside, the house has beautiful oak pocket doors. These doors slide into the walls to open. There's also a curved staircase that leads up to the second floor. Behind the main house, there's a carriage house. It used to have space for four horses! There's also a small building that was once a cider shed. This was when an orchard grew around the house in Mr. Kneeland's time.
Who Lived Here?
While living in the house, Norman Kneeland was active in local government. He was the president of the city council. This means he was a leader in making decisions for the city. He passed away in 1900.
The Kneeland family owned the house until 1917. Then, a man named Emery L. Walker bought it. Mr. Walker was an engineer. He worked for a company that made cardboard boxes. The Walker family lived in the house for a very long time, until 1985.
What Is It Now?
In 1987, the Wauwatosa Historical Society bought the house. They bought it from Constance Walker, who was part of the Walker family. Today, the Kneeland-Walker House is the headquarters for the Historical Society. It's also a museum! You can visit it to learn about the history of Wauwatosa.
The house is also recognized as a Wauwatosa Landmark and a Milwaukee County Landmark. This shows how important it is to the area's history.
