Sanford R. Kane was born in New York in 1826. At the age of twenty, he followed his family to Milwaukee and went into the hotel business, running the American Hotel with his brothers until 1861 when the building was destroyed in a fire. Kane reappears in the city directory in 1876 as managing the Siloam Mineral Spring Company with his brother Alonzo.

Sanford Kane commissioned the home on North Prospect Avenue in 1882 from James Douglas, a prominent Milwaukee architect. The house is in early example of the Queen Anne style, and still retains almost all of the original decorative features. The home has a brick first story and a second story sheathed in decorative shingles. Windows are framed with various decorative features, including oversize brackets, sunburst panels and raised panels with floral motifs. The varying roof forms and projecting bays add to the visual interest. The porch is an elaborate example of Eastlake-inspired spindle work. The interior features decorative woodwork that combines classical features with sunburst and floral motifs.

After Sanford Kane's death, the family retained the property until 1896. The property passed through multiple owners and uses until the 1970s when it was converted to the Lakeshore Montessori School, which is still in operation today.

The Sanford R. Kane House is now a private school; please respect their rights and privacy.