Summary
Emanuel D. Adler House
1681 North Prospect Avenue, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County
Architect: Alfred Charles Clas
Date of construction: 1888
Emanuel D. Adler was a well respected clothing manufacturer born in 1854 in Milwaukee to Austrian immigrant parents. By 1880 the family's clothing business had become the city's second largest firm of its type. Emanuel began to work in his father's company at seventeen, moved up to vice-president after the company's incorporation, and assumed the presidency after his brother, Isaac's, death. The company was liquidated in 1929.
At age 34, Emanuel Adler married Clara H. Schloss of Detroit. Clara's millionaire father, Seligman Schloss, purchased a parcel of land on Prospect Street, and then built their residence as a wedding present. Local architect Alfred C. Clas was chosen to design the house. The house remained in the family until 1937. It was later converted to a rooming house.
The home is a three story Queen Anne style residence with Romanesque Revival influences. Queen Anne features include the varied roof forms and the turret located at the northeast corner of the residence. Romanesque features include the heavy stone clad first floor and the foliated capitals of carved red sandstone that frame the entry way to the home. Only minor alterations have been done to the house, including the addition of an attached garage.
The interior had a typical Queen Anne living hall-centered floor plan. Broad oak stairs rise to the second floor in a U-shaped configuration. The second floor contained the four main family bedrooms and two smaller maids' rooms towards the back. The third floor contained a large and plainly finished ballroom with a smaller wainscoted room which was probably used for billiards.
Much of the original interior decorations are intact, including the two downstairs fireplaces with beautiful wood carving. The main fireplace is has an oak overmantel with two carved plaques with griffins. A frieze of oak leaves and scrolls flank the Adler family crest (an eagle holding a padlock in its beak). Colonnettes flank the fireplace. The front parlor's fireplace is dark natural wood in a Neo-Classical design with fluted pilasters flanking the firebox. The tile surround depicts portraits of male heads in classical warrior attire.
The Emanuel D. Adler House is a private residence and is not open to the public. Please respect the rights and privacy of the owners.
Property Details
| Criteria | Architecture/Engineering |
|---|---|
| Area Of Significance | Architecture |
| Period of Significance | 1888 |
| Architectural Style | Queen Anne,Romanesque |
| Architect | Werner,Fred,Clas,Alfred C. |
| Resource Type | Building |
| Historic Use | Single Dwelling |
Resources Within The Property
| Contributing Buildings | 1 |
|---|---|
| Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Contributing Objects | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Buildings | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Objects | 0 |
Designations
| Historic Status | Listed in the State Register |
|---|---|
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Jan 18, 1991 |
| Historic Status | Listed in the National Register |
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Sep 13, 1991 |
State & National Registers of Historic Places
The State Register and National Register recognize buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that are significant in national, state, or local history. The State Historic Preservation Office in conjunction with the National Park Service maintains the list for Wisconsin and makes the data available to the public for research and education.
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