Thomas Cook House (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Thomas Cook House
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After painting in 2011
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 Location in Wisconsin
Location in the United States
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| Location | 853 N. Seventeenth St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
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| Built | 1875 |
| Architect | E. Townsend Mix |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000104 |
| Added to NRHP | January 16, 1986 |
The Thomas Cook House is a beautiful old home built in Milwaukee, Wisconsin way back in 1875. It was designed in a fancy style called High Victorian Italianate. A very important stone merchant named Thomas Cook had it built. This house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. This means it's an important building worth protecting!
Contents
Who Was Thomas Cook?
Thomas Cook was a pioneer in the stone business. He started his own limestone quarry business in 1853. A quarry is a place where stone is dug out of the ground. His company provided building materials for many projects. These projects were all over Milwaukee.
Cook and Hyde Stone Company
In 1860, Thomas Cook teamed up with Edwin Hyde. They formed the Cook and Hyde Stone Company. This company became very important. They supplied stone for many famous buildings. Some of these buildings include the Mackie Building and the Plankinton House Hotel. They also supplied stone for St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Other buildings include the Milwaukee Club and the Milwaukee Central Library. Even the chapel at Forest Home Cemetery used their stone.
The Architect: E. Townsend Mix
Many of these buildings were designed by a famous architect. His name was E. Townsend Mix. An architect is someone who designs buildings. Thomas Cook worked with Mix on many projects. He even chose Mix to design his own house.
What Makes the House Special?
Thomas Cook had this house built in 1875. It was actually built as a double-house. This means it had two separate living spaces. He planned to rent out one side of the house.
House Design and Features
The house is 2.5 stories tall. It sits on a strong foundation of rough stone blocks. The walls are made of cream-colored brick. This gives the house a unique look.
Some of the windows have colorful arches above them. Other windows are bay windows. These windows stick out from the house. One window even has a pointed, arch shape. This is called a lancet arch. The roof is built in a chalet-style. It has decorative wooden supports. These supports are called scroll-sawn brackets. There is also a zigzag pattern called a sawtooth frieze board. The outside of the house looks almost the same today. It has not changed much since it was built!
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