history
Here's a timeline of the Lion House's storied past, according to an account by local historian Russell Zimmerman.
1849
The Lion House visionary arrives in Milwaukee
German immigrant Edward Diedrichs arrived in Milwaukee with $80,000 in cash and a plan to invest in real estate. He spent the next several years acquiring parcels of land overlooking Lake Michigan.
The design begins
Diedrichs commissioned the firm Mygatt and Schmidtner to design his dream home. He wanted to replicate a villa he had seen during his days in Russia and was highly engaged in the design process, supplying the architects with sketches and pictures.
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Henry Koch, then a draftsman at Mygatt and Schmidtner, was responsible for designing the lions out front. The lions were carved from all-clear white pine, taken from an old mast. Those original lions lasted nearly ninety years before they were removed.
1855
1859
The original house burns
A fire broke out in the Lion House and destroyed the home. The lions, however, survived. Diedrichs' wife Bertha, was reportedly devastated to lose the home and urged her husband to rebuild. Diedrichs went into debt rebuilding the property, and soon lost the house to foreclosure. Diedrichs left town by 1863, and was said to have died years later in a New York poorhouse.
Another fire breaks out, but the lions are spared again
A fire broke out in the Lion House and destroyed the home. The lions, however, survived. Diedrichs' wife Bertha, was reportedly devastated to lose the home and urged her husband to rebuild. Diedrichs went into debt rebuilding the property, and soon lost the house to foreclosure. Diedrichs left town by 1863, and was said to have died years later in a New York poorhouse.
1875
1895
A second story is added
John Johnston, nephew of one of the richest men in Wisconsin at the time, bought the home in 1895. He added a second story, blended carefully into the original structure.
Original lions are removed
The original lions, which had decayed beyond repair, were removed from the property. The home remained without its lions for four decades but continued to be known as the Lion House.
1944
1984
The lions are restored
James A. Hummert bought the home and undertook a painstaking restoration project. Hummert commissioned a new set of lions — this time, carved from Honduran mahogany instead of pine.
The Bradley Foundation buys the property
In 1995, the Bradley Foundation purchased the property and began its own renovations. It connected the Lion House to the two neighboring Victorians, the Hawley House and the Bloodgood House.
1995
2019
The Lion House begins its next chapter
Wisconsin Securities Partners bought the three properties in 2019. WSP's chairman Ross Read and his wife Mary Read are now the stewards of the buildings. Mary Read, quite the history buff, takes the responsibility seriously.