Property Record
2602 N SHERMAN BLVD
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | William F. Maertz House |
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| Other Name: | |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 42682 |
| Location (Address): | 2602 N SHERMAN BLVD |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1924 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1980 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Rustic Style |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Log |
| Architect: | JOHN MENGE, JR. |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | North Sherman Boulevard Historic District |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 4/6/2004 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 10/17/2003 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | EXTERIOR IS PATTERNED AFTER MAERTZ'S SUMMER COTTAGE AT POST LAKE NEAR ANTIGO WHILE THE INTERIOR HAS THE HIGH STYLE FINISH OF THE 1920S. The Maertz family hired John Menge to contrive a fantasy rustic, Northwoods-style retreat. This low-slung "cabin" has peeled, saddle-notched log walls, painted white at the ends. A rough cobblestone chimney is finished with irregular stone "quoins." According to family lore, the Maertzes' vacation cabin near Antigo, Wisconsin, inspired this house, and was built with logs felled at that site. Originally, the landscaping included a small front-yard pond. The pond is filled and sheets of fixed glass replaced the original multi-pane windows in the 1950s, but its exterior retains its 1920s appearance. One of Menge's special touches is the cottage-type false-thatch roof, with its distinctive blunted, rolled edges. Asphalt shingles replaced wooden ones laid in undulating rows, evoking the picturesque appearance of a thatched roof during its brief popularity in the 1920s. The Maertz House's elegant interior contrasts pleasantly with the folksy exterior. It features elaborate gilded plasterwork and some novel innovations, including indirect cove lighting in the living room. An expansive, sky-lit conservatory occupies the middle of the house, with the other rooms opening off it through French doors. "In 1921 when William and Amanda Maertz purchased the lot at the corner of Sherman and Clark, he may have already envisioned placing a log house there. He owned a log house on Post Lake near Antigo in northern Wisconsin and apparently wanted one in the city. He selected John W. Menge, Jr. to design the house. Menge's design, completed in 1924, was strongly influenced by the Craftsman style. The rustic exterior belies the well-planned design of the interior with its strong reliance on the warmth of wood, the flow of rooms, and the use of natural light. A tile floored entry provides access to the living room with its vaulted ceiling and Spanish plaster. The cobblestone fireplace is a dominant feature of the room. Off this room is a sunroom with a skylight of geometrical colored glass framed by a gilded border. The library had wood paneling with built in bookcases and window seats. The master bedroom has two closets, each with a door to the outside. One exits to a terrace and one to the attached garage. There is also a second bedroom, kitchen and breakfast room on the first floor. The roof is another unusual feature of the house. The asphalt shingles are rounded at the edges of the roof to give the effect of a thatched roof, a hallmark of the Craftsman style. The logs used in construction were said to be shipped by Maertz from the Post Lake area. The brown painted logs with white painted ends may have replicated their vacation home. The Maertz family was well known in North Milwaukee, where they moved in 1903. William began working as a stockboy at Schuster's Department Store. He stayed with the store for 27 years climbing to the position of art buyer. The family had an interest in movie theater operations in the neighborhood. Maertz's father built the Comfort Theater; William managed the Colonial, which was owned by his brother-in-law, and owned the Fern. His brother, Edward, organized area businessmen into the Northwest Amusement Corp. to finance the Zenith. Brother John served as a director of the corporation and owned Maertz Department Store in North Milwaukee, which advertised as stocking "Furniture, Bedding, Stoves - everything to eat or wear." During the winter of 1928, four years after moving into the log house, William died during a flu epidemic. His widow and son remained in the house until 1930, when it was sold." Historic Milwaukee Inc., Sherman Park Pride in Craftsmanship 13th Annual Spaces & Traces Tour Saturday, May 14, 1994, Souvenir Booklet. |
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| Bibliographic References: | MASTER BUILDER, 3/1925, P. 37. Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript. Historic Milwaukee Inc., Sherman Park Pride in Craftsmanship 13th Annual Spaces & Traces Tour Saturday, May 14, 1994, Souvenir Booklet. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |