Property Record
5871 S 108th St
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Bosch Hotel and Tavern |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | Bosch Restaurant |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 68404 |
| Location (Address): | 5871 S 108th St |
|---|---|
| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Hales Corners |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
| Range: | |
| Direction: | |
| Section: | |
| Quarter Section: | |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: |
| Year Built: | 1904 |
|---|---|
| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 20082025 |
| Historic Use: | lodging-hotel |
| Architectural Style: | Queen Anne |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Clapboard |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| 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, Division of Historic Preservation. The street car line from Milwaukee ended across the street in 1903. Previously surveyed in 2001. 2017: Moved to an adjacent parcel prior to road expansion. 2025: The parcel on which the Bosch Hotel and Tavern is situated is comprised of the hotel/tavern building and a smokehouse. Bosch Hotel and Tavern, constructed in 1904, is a two-story, Queen Anne building with a multi-faceted roof comprised of a hip roof with cross-gables and a corner turret. It has a central interior brick chimney and a large interior brick chimney along the rear one-story addition. It has a wood single roof and is clad with clapboard. The area beneath the gables has large, wood louvered vents and is clad with wood sawtooth shingles. A decorative wood dentil course is located beneath the wood shingle siding. The primary entrance is wood door with a plate glass window flanked by wood sidelights that opens onto a wood wraparound porch. The hip porch roof is supported by square wood columns, and a wood balustrade runs along the outer edge of the porch. A secondary entry is located along the east elevation and is a wood door with a plate glass window that also opens onto the wraparound porch. Windows are comprised of 3/1, double-hung wood sashes, with 1/1 double-hung wood sashes located along the second story of the turret. A neon and metal “Bosch Tavern” sign is attached to the porch roof above the wood steps at the southeast corner. A front-gable frame smokehouse is located just north of the hotel/tavern building and was constructed circa 2021. It has a corrugated metal roof and is also clad with corrugated metal. An open doorway is located at the center of the east elevation. History - After the arrival of the Rapid Transit, an electric train, from Milwaukee in 1903, the Bosch Hotel and Tavern was constructed in 1904 to accommodate the growing number of residents who built homes in the Hales Corners area and commuted to Milwaukee for work on the train. Located across the street from the train station, it was constructed by Herman Bosch, who operated the business during the early-twentieth century. At this time, the hotel was known for its second-floor ballroom. By the 1930s, the property had been sold to Arthur Byrnes, who converted the ballroom into apartments. The building has functioned primarily as a restaurant and tavern throughout the twentieth century, although the name has changed numerous times and it has also been known as Swede’s, Svetislav’s, and Popper’s. The building was remodeled during the 1950s with metal awnings and a chrome interior. The property was restored to its early-twentieth century appearance and renamed the Bosch Tavern during the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2016 the property was moved approximately 50 ft to the west to accommodate the reconstruction and widening of the intersection of Janesville Road and South 108 Street. |
|---|---|
| Bibliographic References: | FRANKLIN HALES CORNERS HUB 5/9/1996. Tax rolls. Shepherd and Weiler, "Hales Corners WI: A History in Celebration of 150 Years" published by the Hales Corners Historical Society. Hales Corners Historic Preservation Commission, 2002, brochure. Architecture and History Survey. March/October 2011. Prepared by Heritage Research, Ltd. “Hales Corners – A Suburb,” The Historical Marker Database, accessed January 2026 online at https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=83954. “The Bosch Tavern: Village Landmark,” Hales Corners Historical Society Newsletter, October 2017, accessed January 2026 online at http://www.halescornershistory.com/hchs/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2017-OCT-HCHS-NEWS.pdf. Matt Mueller, “After over a century pulling town together, town pulls Bosch to new locale,” OnMilwaukee, October 7, 2016, https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/tugtheboschtavern. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |