Property Record
2051 W WISCONSIN AVE
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Sylvester and Asenath Pettibone House |
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| Other Name: | Boyle, Boyle and Smith/Meyer Advertising |
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| Reference Number: | 16402 |
| Location (Address): | 2051 W WISCONSIN AVE |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
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| Year Built: | 1852 |
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| Additions: | C. 1870C. 1902C. 1960 |
| Survey Date: | 19842014 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Greek Revival |
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| Wall Material: | Cream Brick |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the State Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation. PETTIBONE WAS A CONTRACTOR AND BUILT THE HOUSE. OWNERS: Name Dates Use Sylvester Pettibone 1850s-c1870 Farm Residence George C. White c1870-1889 Residence George C. White, Jr. 1889-c1893 Residence ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIGNIFICANCE: Though this house was "classicized" in early 20th century alterations, it remains an outstanding example of an Italianate residence in Milwaukee. Constructed of Cream City brick, the original structure consisted of the three-bay western section. It had a low hip roof with a belvedere, round lights in the attic story, and a narrow porch running the length of the facade. In the 1870's, George C. White added the east wing in keeping with the original Italiante pattern. Two early 20th century photographs at the Milwaukee County Historical Society (W. Wisconsin Ave. File) document Georgian Revival alterations to the house made in 1902 and 1905. The gable pediment and present attic story windows were added. Multi-paned windows replaced the Italianate ones and the entry was altered. The house once had a two-story colonnaded wraparound porch, but was later removed for the present one. Notes on the additions: In 1870, a three story wing was added by owner George C. White. He also changed the front porch and added a cupola. In 1902, the cupola, widow's walk and iron parlor balcony were removed by owner F.H. White. He also added a two story wrap-around porch, roof pediments and made the round third floor windows square. Around 1903, an octagonal conservatory was added to the southwest corner of the house by owner Oscar F. Miller. By 1946, owner Hugo C. Haeuser created extensive interior office space. The wrap-around porch was removed in 1961. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Home of Sylvester Pettibone, early Milwaukee County settler. He was a farmer and contractor, active in political and civic affairs. Quoting from his obituary in the MILWAUKEE SENTINEL, Pettibone "came to Milwaukee in April, 1836, and passed through to Prairieville, now Waukesha, where he established a black-smith shop and worked a farm...He subsequently purchased 250 acres south of what is now known as Spring Street (Wisconsin Ave.) and west of 21st Street, and moved 'near the city,' as he then said, and settled down to the life of a farmer, varying his work with contracts to do grading in the city...He took a lively interest in agriculture, was a prominent member of the Milwaukee Agricultural Society...and ever remained true to his occupation, as the crop now ripening on his place fully attests." 2014- "The Sylvester Pettibone House is a three-story, cream brick house originally constructed c.1852, with additions from 1870 and the 1960s. The original portion of the building, the west wing, was constructed in c.1852 by Sylvester Pettibone as a Greek Revival farmhouse. The east wing, constructed in the 1870s, was added by the subsequent owner, George C. White. A two-story office wing was added to the rear (south) elevation in the 1960s. The building has an L-shaped plan, rests on a stone and brick foundation, and has a cross-gable roof. Along the roofline and in the prominent gable ends are decorative wood cornices with dentils. The main entrance is centered on the (north) facade and sheltered by a replacement front gable porch roof supported by Tuscan columns resting on red brick bollards. Windows on the first and second stories of the c.1852 wing are similar, nine-over-one, double hung sash, with wooden pedimented hood molding on the first story and brick arched lintels on the second story. Windows on the 1870 addition are paired and have elaborate arched brick lintels. At the center of the east elevation is a modern window opening filled with glass block. Windows in the cornice on both wings are small square six-over-six, double-hung sash. The modern addition at the rear (south) is of concrete block construction and covered by a flat roof. Sylvester Pettibone moved to Wisconsin in the late 1830s from the East Coast. He was active in Milwaukee’s early political and commercial history, acting as one of the first postmasters in the area. He was hired by one of Milwaukee’s founders, Solomon Juneau, to grade North Water Street. In the early 1850s he purchased 250 acres of land outside of downtown Milwaukee and began to farm. He erected the subject house as his farmhouse. In 1869 he sold the house to George C. White and moved further west to Waukesha. The house remained in the White family until the early twentieth century. The farmland was sold off over the years for the construction of mansions and apartment buildings along West Wisconsin Avenue. In 1946 the house was purchased and remodeled by Milwaukee architect Hugo Haeuser. The building is currently used for offices." -"W Wisconsin Ave, 20th St-35th St", WisDOT #2190-00-00, Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Inc. (2014). |
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| Bibliographic References: | MARION OGDEN, HOMES OF OLD SPRING ST., P. 29. BUILT IN MILWAUKEE, LANDSCAPE RESEARCH, P. 163. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 9/1/1999. Walling, H.F., "Map O\of Milwaukee" (New York, 1858). Milwaukee City Directories, 1868-1895. Milwaukee Sentinel, July 24, 1874. p. 8, col. 4. Building Permit Records. 2014 (1) City of Milwaukee, Department of City Planning, "West Side Neighborhood Historic Resources Survey," Prepared for the City of Milwaukee (September 1984), 13-5, 13-6. (2) Carla Cuda, “Preserving the Pettibone,” http://www.gmtoday.com/content/NSL/2001/March/Converted/34/css/34.htm (accessed 30 December 2014). |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |