The Brookfield Scene

We will soon learn the status of the $108.8 million referendum. Those favoring the referendum have been very vocal and adamant about the need. Those against the referendum have been less boisterous.

Of course, we’ve all been listening to the information the School District of Elmbrook has shared. The district is supposed to be providing factual information. Instead it seems to have become an advocate.

Last year, the district hired a community relations and marketing director. It doesn’t seem that he’s mastered the community relations portion of his job. Yes, there are the countless fact sheets, and the attempt to be the spokesperson for the district. He has taken several approaches in marketing the referendum.

First, we heard about the schools not meeting ADA standards; next, conditions that compromise the safety and security of our students; then a visual comparison of our high school buildings to other districts. District residents are warned that property values will decline due to aging high school facilities.

The Elmbrook School District is focused on a brick and mortar solution. In the meantime existing facilities have not been adequately maintained – due to revenue caps. The district seems to feel that the communities of Brookfield and Elm Grove can afford the referendum.

Yes, some homeowners are affluent. Others are not.

The quality of education is not just about the buildings.

The last three blogs started exploring Brookfield in the 1860s.

In doing more research, I learned more about our local history. The earliest recorded landowner, William Howe, arrived in Brookfield in 1820 with a presidential land grant. Robert Curran and Augustus Story arrived in 1837. George Putney arrived from New York in 1839.

In 1839 Brookfield became a town with 36 square miles of land. Waukesha County was formed in 1846. Brookfield Junction was one of the county’s sixteen townships. Wisconsin became a state in 1848. The pioneering families became involved in farming and lumbering – and led spartan lives.

As the town was settled, some claimed the title of the “first.” For example, Jacob Stamm (a German settler) became the first blacksmith. Dr. John Bevier became the first physician. Charles Hart built the first sawmill. Solomon Wales and Caroline Quiner are each reported to be the first child born in Brookfield (1839).

Brookfield Township grew over time. The city of Brookfield was formed in 1954. The village of Elm Grove was formed in 1955. Their roots were the town of Brookfield.

Some readers have remembrances of people and places that have been highlighted. One person recalled that his grandmother’s farmhouse had mud floors and a “root” cellar (to store fruit and vegetables). That home was built about 1890 and a portion of the farmland became Wisconsin Memorial Park.

Another reader owns the Cushing Home (1848). The property was once part of a 160 acre parcel of land owned by Ahmanz (Ahimaz, Ahimeaz) Gove in 1839. (It’s hard to discern the old cursive handwriting.)

In his youth, one reader lived in a farmhouse on land that became Brookfield Square (1967). He recalls the metamorphosis of Bluemound Road.

Others remember farms that were turned into subdivisions – such as Kinsey Garvensdale (Garvens), Joyce Acres and Simons’ Brookhollow condominiums. Streets are often named after landowners and prominent people. Dechant, Woelfel, Carpenter and Gebhardt.

Of course, there are many more places and people to mention. Start noticing the names of streets you travel on, learning about your own family’s origins and the history that surrounds you.

To quote one reader, “Many Brookfield residents travel extensively to see historic homes “Out East, down South, out West” or wherever they can find remnants of our past. We also travel around the world to see historic sites. Few travel very far to see the latest shopping mall or chain restaurant. I wish our city fathers would see the value in preserving our past and take steps to save what little is left. “

My last two blogs featured 1850s-1860s homes considered of “outstanding historical significance” by the city-sponsored 1993 inventory of homes. Readers’ responses have been favorable, so we’ll continue down this path for a while. Please enjoy these historical insights – and continue your journey across the Elmbrook area.

Part three will explore structures that were standing during the Civil War (or shortly thereafter) that were considered "notable" or of "local interest." They include farmhouses and churches and a school building, log home and cemetery.

The farmhouses include 17700 Capitol Drive (Stonewood Village) and the Griswold Farmhouse (3235 N. Brookfield Road) – both 1865.

The churches include Brookfield United Methodist Church (2400 N. Brookfield Road) from 1855 and St. John’s Lutheran Church Activity Building (18700 W. Burleigh Road) circa 1865.

A cemetery at 15600 W. North Ave. was developed in the 1850s. Over the years, the cemetery had also been named “Dixon” and “East Side” Cemetery. It is now known as “Pioneer” Cemetery.

A school building (2430 N. Brookfield Road) was built about 1851; it was a residence when the historic inventory was conducted.

A log house at 17040 Gebhardt Road built about 1859 was owned by Samuel Taylor. The log cabin is within its current structure. It is adjacent to Brookfield Central High School and was purchased by School District of Elmbrook. (Does the school district know this treasure is inside?)

Other homes were scattered across Brookfield – on North Avenue and on Burleigh, Lisbon, Pilgrim, Calhoun and Brookfield Roads.

Residence & barn 19485 Lisbon Road c.1860s
P. Carr Residence 14650 W. North Ave. c.1860s
Residence 2385 N. Brookfield Road 1865-70
Residence 2425 N. Brookfield Road c.1865-75
Residence 2455 N. Brookfield Road 1869-70
Residence 18250 Burleigh Road c.1860
Residence 4180 N. Pilgrim Road c.1860
E. E. Phillips Residence 14145 W. Lisbon Rd. c.1865
Residence 16185 Lisbon Rd. 1858-1870
Borchardt Residence 4280 N. Calhoun Road c.1865-70

Please remember, that the city of Brookfield commissioned the historic inventory, but it did not pass an historic preservation ordinance. So there’s no guarantee that these buildings are still standing. If you find sites that are no longer historic, please let me know.

Last week, this blog featured homes built about 1860 that were deemed “outstanding” in the 1993 inventory of homes sponsored by the city of Brookfield in 1993. Readers responded favorably.

One reader reminded me that there is a historical marker (on the Northwest Corner of Davidson and South Brookfield Roads that designates the birthplace of Laura Ingalls’ mother (Caroline Quiner). Quiner was the earliest known settler’s birth in the Town of Brookfield (1839).

Laura Ingalls Wilder, wrote eleven story books that tell of her family’s pioneering life in the last quarter of the 19th Century. The “Little House on the Prairie” television series is based on her writings.

Now, as you venture out, be sure to look for these additional sites (of outstanding historical significance) built in the 1850s and 1860s.

Russell Phillips Residence & Barns 14485 W. Lisbon Rd. c1855
JC Whitford Residence 14865 W. Lisbon Rd. c1855
John H. Cushing Residence 13350 W. North Ave. c1860-1870
George H. Daubner Farmhouse & Barns (Melody Farms) 16680 W. North Ave. c1865
Brookfield Junction Depot 2844 N. Brookfield Rd. c1867

"c" means about

Although the city of Brookfield commissioned the historic inventory, it did not pass an historic preservation ordinance. So there’s no guarantee that these buildings are still standing. If you find sites that are no longer historic, please let me know.

School Referendums. Bluemound Road Traffic. Widening Calhoun Road. Three New Fire Stations. There's enough controversy to make someone want to escape.

When the roads clear, expand your day to include a road trip. In 1993, the city of Brookfield sponsored a historic inventory of homes in the city and town of Brookfield and the village of Elm Grove.

In 1993, there were over 1750 homes over 50 years old.* Thirty-two homes in Brookfield were classified as locally outstanding. Entries rated as "outstanding" were potentially eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Nineteen others (in the town of Brookfield and the village of Elm Grove) also met these standards.

Nine homes on the "outstanding" list were built about 1860 - prior to the civil war.

Five homes are along Brookfield Road. The Brown Residence (2710 N. Brookfield Road) was built about 1850. One (the Ruby Farm) on Calhoun Road will most likely fall victim to road widening. Others are listed at 154 and Capitol; on Whitemont Drive and on 186th Street.

Take a drive to see these historic homes:

William Blodgett Residence 1455 N. Brookfield Rd. c1860
Charles Eichstaedt Residence 1920 N. Brookfield Rd. c1860
Hiram Showerman House 2635 N. Brookfield Rd. c1860
G.W. Brown Residence 2710 N. Brookfield Rd. c1850
Residence 2760 N. Brookfield Rd. c1860

Jacob Ruby Farm 165 S. Calhoun Rd. c1860

Frederick Neu Residence & Silo 15465 W. Capitol Dr. c1860

Alexander Donaldson Residence 1785 Whitemont Dr. 1860

T.H. Tucker House 3025 N. 186 St. c1860

"c" refers to circa (or about)
*It is possible that some homes have been demolished.

While on Brookfield Road, travel a bit further north to Oak Hill Cemetery. This cemetery was established in 1847 and is the burial place of Revolutionary War soldier Nathan Hatch.

You will also find two historic homes that have been preserved by the Elmbrook Historical Society on the grounds of the Dousman Stagecoach Inn, 1075 Pilgrim Parkway. They are the stagecoach inn, built in 1843, is Brookfield's only home on the National Register of Historic Places and the Bartlett House/Log Cabin circa 1849.


If readers' response is positive, we'll continue this scavenger hunt of our historic past.