Monday morning we headed to the Pabst Mansion for a tour. Captain Pabst (he was a sea captain before getting married to a woman who’s family was in the beer business) and his wife Maria decided to retire in a nice home along Wisconsin Avenue, where apparently most of the Milwaukee rich we’re living. At one point there were 64 mansions along this street (there are now four left).
The house took two years to build, and is 20,000 sq ft set on 2.5 acres. 8000 sq ft of the house is for family, while the remained is for staff, Kitchens, etc. After the Captain and his wife died, the family sold the house to the Archdiocese old Milwaukee who used it to house 5 Archbishops until 1975. During that time, they didn’t do much to maintain it. While all woodwork was in good shape! The Archdiocese painted most walls and ceiling (including murals) white.
Wisconsin Heritages bought the place and started restoration. Today, a good portion is restored. The house is furnished with most of the original furniture, which was built specifically for the house by the same company that did all the woodwork. Most of the art work is from the Pabst family or from the family of Maria’s sister, who lived nearby.
The Pabst’s built a mansion for each of their adult children. Guess that’s not too difficult when you’re worth billion in today’s dollars.
Their oldest daughter died six months after giving birth to her daughter Elsbeth. The Captain and Maria took custody of their granddaughter and paid her father $10,000 to disappear. They were convinced he had something to do with the death, which was blamed on appendicitis.
The wall covering is a patterned linen that is soaked in something and then put on the wall. One it’s dry, the pattern is raised and is hand painted.
Maria’s parlor
A music nook just off the foyer which was used by musicians to play for guests during parties. The boom box on the floor to the right is not original.
Family Parlor. The wall covering here is something like linoleum (made with linseed oil) which is also hand painted.
One of two matching hutches in the dining room
One of the walls in the Captains study. All the woodwork opens to reveal storage behind.
One of the ice boxes near the kitchen. Huge blocks of ice were cut out of the lakes during the winter stored for usage all year. The Pabst’s Had ice delivered every two weeks.
A view up the main stairs
The stairs have hops buds at each newel post
Skylight over the stairs
The study used by the two sons