The historic Colonel Theodore Yates residence, built circa 1863, was one of the first homes in the area. Originally built as a country home on a parcel of land that was nearly 7 acres and just outside the then city limits of Milwaukee, the Gothic Revival Villa has undergone a wild life cycle. Its original owners were retired Colonel Yates (a highly decorated Civil War hero in the Battle of Vicksburg) and his wife, the daughter of one of the area’s foremost land sub-dividers, Dousman.
Several other long-term owners occupied it before it suffered a debilitating stint as a rooming house. The City of Milwaukee took possession of it in the early 1990s and struggled to find a buyer. During that time, there was a fire in the east parlor, various open access points, and a series of non-paying tenants.
The house’s decline has since been reversed, and it is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of the few remaining residences in Milwaukee from this period and features a steeply pitched multi-gabled roof, Gothic arched windows, and moldings.
Renovations in the last decade removed a modern concrete stoop and aluminum awning over the front entryway thereby revealing the original charm of the acorn window over the front door and recreating the 40-foot long front porch.