George Schuster House (1891) also known as The Wells Street Red Castle, is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The German Renaissance Revival mansion was built for tobacco magnate George Schuster. It is listed on the neighborhood, city, national and state Register of Historic Places. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places listings in Milwaukee (NRHP) in 1986.
George Schuster House | |
The Wells Street Red Castle
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 George Schuster House | |
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| Location | 3209 W. Wells St. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°02′24″N 87°57′16″W / 43.04°N 87.954444°W |
| Built | 1891 |
| Architect | Crane and Barkhausen |
| Architectural style | German Renaissance Revival |
| Website | schustermansion |
| NRHP reference No. | 86000137 |
| Added to NRHP | January 1, 1989 |
History
editIn 1891 the 9,300 sq ft (860 m2) brick mansion was commissioned by tobacco magnate George Schuster. He purchased land for his home in August 1891. In September 1891, he was issued a construction permit. The home has 8 bedrooms and 3.5 baths was designed by Crane and Barkhausen. The architects also designed a Coach-house and it was built at the same time. Schuster died in 1922 and in by 1923 the home was vacant. In 1924 it was sold to Jean B. Olinger, who divided the home into 6 apartments.[1][2]
People began calling the home the Redstone Apartments. By 1982 there were two more apartments added and it became an 8 family. By 2008 it was a bed and breakfast with seven units.[1] People also began calling the home The Wells Street Red Castle because of the red brick.[3]
The home was listed on the neighborhood, city, national and state Register of Historic Places.[3] It was listed on the Wisconsin State Register January 16, 1986 and on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Milwaukee January 1, 1989.[4]
Description
editThe home was constructed with red sandstone, red brick and red Terracotta. The building took on the appearance of a European castle with other influences, including: Gothic Revival architecture, Châteauesque, Romanesque architecture, German Renaissance Revival and some Colonial Revival architecture. The home features two towers and a facade of fleur-de-lis to Trefoils, rondels, Pilasters and lions’ heads. The home is full of difficult angles and transitions along with detailed layers. The home has hardwood floors, high ceilings and wood throughout with a formal dining room and a library.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c Tanzilo, Bobby (28 November 2022). "UPDATE: Stunning 1891 German Renaissance Revival Schuster Mansion up for auction". On Milwaukee. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- ^ Herrick, Nancy A. (6 January 2012). "Milwaukee mansion doors open wide". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- ^ a b Redsten, Genevieve (22 November 2022). "Historic Schuster mansion, the 'Wells Street Red Castle,' is up for auction". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
- ^ "3209 W. Wells St. - George Schuster House". Wisconsin Historical Society. Wisconsin Historical Society. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.