For more virtual tours and tour information visit HCNI Home Tour 2019
About the House
Within the neighborhood, we call this the Tower House, and an image of this distinctive home has been the logo for Historic Concordia Neighbors for years.
Built of cream city brick on an acre of land, this is believed to be the oldest house in the neighborhood, and one of the oldest houses in the city of Milwaukee. It was the residence of Dr. Robert Fairies, the first dentist to open a practice in Milwaukee, from 1850-1854. Some historians believe that the original structure may have been a farmhouse which Dr. Fairies remodeled into this structure. During that remodeling, he may have added the flat roof to use as an observation deck to pursue his interest in astronomy (he constructed the first telescope in the state). The house was sold to Sidney Rood, a bookstore and bindery owner, sometime around 1854. Rood sold it in 1863 to Philetus Yale, a tailor and clothier. Yale may have been responsible for the changes to the house which resulted in its current distinctive exterior including the tower, Mansard-like roof, dormers, and the west wing. There was also a south wing, of approximately 2400 square feet, which was demolished sometime in the late 1920s by Yale’s descendants.
The home has undergone several reincarnations in its lifetime. From a family home until 1947, to offices for the Milwaukee Bible Institute (1947 to 1960), then offices of Concordia College (1960 to 1987), and then law offices. It became a single-family dwelling again in the 1990s.
About the Tour
When: Saturday, June 15th, 2019 10AM--4PM
Where: Tour headquarters is Greater Utopian Pentecostal,
2925 W State St.
Cost: $17 in advance. $20 day of event.
Phone: 414.459.9375 Website: www.hcni.org/home-tour
For more 360 interactive images and virtual tours visit the main Tour de Force 360 website.
