| 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 Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office.
OWNER DATES USES
Samuel D. Luscombe 1854-1858 Farm Residence
Robert W. Pierce 1858-1863 Farm Residence
James Stewart 1863-1874 Farm Residence
Edward Stanford 1874-1879 Farm Residence
Adam Drach 1879-1938 Farm Residence
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
Outstanding example of the Italian Villa Style in Milwaukee. Characteristic of the region, it is constructed of Cream City brick. Characteristic of the style, the structure is comprised of rectilinear blocks in juxtaposition, with round-headed grouped windows, and scroll brackets on a dentilated cornice. The residence has been altered little, as the attached 1876 drawing attests.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:
One of a few remaining early farm residences in outlying Milwaukee. In what was then Wauwatosa Township, several miles outside Milwaukee City limits, Samuel D. Luscombe built this impressive house on 94.58 acres along the Old Lisbon Plank Road. Less is known of Luscombe than of subsequent owners James Stewart and Edward Stanford. Both "followed the lakes" as captains of mercantile vessels. Captain Stewart arrived in Milwaukee in 1847 from Aberdeen, Scotland. He retired on this property in 1863 and lived there until his death in 1874. His daughter Barbara married Captain Edward Stanford, a nativ of Sussex, England. They resided here for five years following Stewart's death.
2023: The Luscombe House has an irregular footprint consisting of two front-gabled wings separated by a side-gabled section, and a rear extension that is that is topped by modern, second story additions. The house rests on a brick foundation and is topped by gable and shed roofs that are clad in asphalt shingles. Indicative of Italian Villa style architecture, the gabled roofs are gently pitched, featuring wide eaves, decorative wood brackets, and dentils along a plain frieze. Each wing roof is pierced by a brick chimney. A smooth stone water table runs the width of the north, east, and west elevations just above the foundation.
The home’s north elevation faces W Lisbon Avenue and is symmetrical, except for the porch and entrance bay that extend from the east elevation. The two front-gabled wings flank a recessed, side-gabled section. Both wings have one-story, boxed bay windows with flat roofs featuring wide eaves and decorative wood brackets along a plain frieze. Windows include tall, and some narrow, multi-pane wood sashes with round brick arches and fixed shutters. Centered above the bay windows are paired, eight-pane wood doors, covered by one-over-one, wood storm windows and topped with round arched transoms and brick arches. The central, recessed section contains tall, six-pane wood doors topped by two-pane transoms with segmental brick arches and covered by matching, six-pane wood storm windows. Two, smaller six-pane windows are located on the second story, directly above the first floor windows. A brick chimney pierces the roof between the two windows. Turned wood posts with decorative brackets support a shed roof between the first and second stories, creating a small arcade.
The east (side) elevation contains a front-gabled fenestration bay that projects from the façade by a single wythe of brick. It contains the one-story entrance bay that is topped with a half-hip roof that extends across the east façade between the first and second stories and is supported by turned wood posts, separated by spindles, and resting on a wood deck. The two-light wood door is set within a simple wood surround with a segmental transom window and brick arch. On the east elevation of the entrance bay is a diamond-paned, wood window, with a gabled window awning supported by decorative brackets. Additional fenestration on the east elevation includes tall, six-pane wood windows topped by two-pane transoms with segmental brick arches on the first story and six-pane, wood windows with round arched transom windows, brick arches, and fixed shutters on the second story.
The south (rear) elevation contains three rectangular sections. The easternmost section is the east wing and entrance bay; it has no fenestration on this elevation. The center and westernmost sections are constructed of load-bearing cream brick that matches the rest of the house. Neither of these rear extensions have the continuous stone water table that is present on the rest of the house, indicating that they were not part of the original footprint of the house. Both sections have multi-pane, wood windows with stone sills and brick arches, similar to those found on the rest of the house. Second story, frame additions were added to these sections in c. 1945 and c. 1990. The c. 1945 addition has a gently pitched, hip roof and the c. 1990 addition has a shed roof. Both have one-over-one, vinyl windows and the later addition has a door accessed by a set of exterior stairs on the west elevation.
The west elevation is dominated by the exterior wood stairs and deck, which has simple metal railings. The west wing has two fenestration bays containing multi-pane wood windows with segmental arches on the first story and multi-pane wood windows with round brick arches on the second story.
The interior of the Luscombe House is typical of Italianate style architecture. The front entry opens onto a hallway, with an open stairway rising to the second floor. Rooms are largely square or rectangular, with high ceilings. Many interior details appear to be intact. Specific details include original wood floors, baseboards, window and door trim, and plaster ceiling medallions. Some changes to the layout of the rear portion of the first and second floors has occurred, such as kitchen and bathroom additions and reconfigurations.
South of the house is a large, five-stall garage. The garage has a rectangular footprint consisting of side-gabled and front-gabled sections, connected by a side-gabled annex. The building is primarily clad in horizontal wood siding and the roofs are sheathed in rubber. Based on historic aerial imagery, the three-stall, side-gabled section was constructed c. 1945, the front-gabled section c. 1975, and the annex c. 1980. |
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| Bibliographic References: | BUILT IN MILWAUKEE, LANDSCAPE RESEARCH, P. 36, P. 157.
Tax Program.
Milwaukee County Registor of Deeds: Grantor-Grantee Index.
Zimmermann, H. Russell, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL (Sept. 10, 1967).
ILLUSTRATED HISTORICAL ATLAS OF MILWAUKEE COUNTY (H. Belden, 1876), p. 19, 53.
MAP OF THE COUNTY OF MILWAUKEE (New York, H.F. Walling, 1858). |
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