Neighbors stand up for street's history

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C.T. Kruger

Gale and Ron Lange, the fourth owners of the home at 1839 Wauwatosa Ave., support the creation of a local historic district in their neighborhood.

C.T. Kruger

Gale and Ron Lange, the fourth owners of the home at 1839 Wauwatosa Ave., support the creation of a local historic district in their neighborhood.

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When the Wauwatosa Historic Preservation Commission let residents of Wauwatosa Avenue know it was interested in pursuing historic designation status for the corridor, the response was twofold.

"We always thought it was a historic district. It definitely should be," said Gale Lange, who owns the pink house at 1839 Wauwatosa Ave. with husband, Ron. Those comments pretty much sum up the sentiment of the owners of the 35 homes in the neighborhood between Watson and Warren avenues.

Local designation as a historic district would help preserve the neighborhood's character and make it more difficult to bring in development or road widening projects that change that character, advocates say.

"This is truly the jewel of Wauwatosa," homeowner Wendy Jones said of the neighborhood at a Feb. 2 public hearing.

Historic qualities attractive

The Langes called the age of their home a major factor in the decision to purchase the three-story, Queen Anne-style home in 1997.

"We wanted an antique house," she said.

They also wanted a sizeable property. Like many homes on Wauwatosa Avenue, theirs is on a double lot.

Commission President Kathy Ehley said the Langes exemplify the pride in homeownership and attention to property upkeep that is typical on Wauwatosa Avenue.

"There are a number of homes along that route that have been lovingly well-maintained," she said.

Entering the Lange's house - or the Wheeler house as it's known by local history followers - is like stepping back in time. Antique enthusiasts, they've brought in light fixtures, furnishings and collections of vintage shoes, stoneware and Scandinavian decorations true to the era. The house has been modernized, but each update has the feel of the past.

"Our big thing is that we want to preserve things as close to the original as possible," Lange said.

When they decided to put a fireplace in the front parlor, they bought a mantle online. After Ron removed 13 layers of paint, an eggs-and-dart pattern that matched designs in other areas of the house came through.

"It was like, 'Wow, this really belongs here,' " she said.

The prior homeowners put ornate reproduction wallpaper on the walls and ceilings of several rooms. The Langes continued the decorating scheme in what is now the master bedroom. Ron performed all the intricate gold glazing work by hand.

The couple even put in a pull-chain toilet in a third-floor bedroom.

Modernization happens

While preserving the historic qualities of the homes on Wauwatosa Avenue is important to the homeowners, it's generally recognized that some change is inevitable or even desirable.

Some of the work comes about simply to maintain an aging home. The Langes enclosed the turret on the home's tower and winterized the porch so they would be protected from harsh weather.

But some changes are about modernizing a home so it's more liveable for those within - like knocking out the wall to turn two small bedrooms into one large master bedroom.

"I had to leave the house the day the wall came down, because it killed a part of me to make such a dramatic change," Lange said.

To passers-by the most obvious changes can be found outside the Langes' home. The old garage was torn down and a three-car carriage house-style structure was constructed. The formerly burgundy and brown clapboard facade was repainted pink, with gold leaf trim.

Neighbors in agreement

To the Langes, the historic district designation would be a plus, and their neighbors seem to agree. The Feb. 2 public hearing brought out only comments of support.

Based on the positive response, the Community Development Committee unanimously supported approval. The Common Council will take up the issue Tuesday.

If the local recognition gets approved, pursuit of state and national designations will follow, Ehley said.

There also is talk of going after similar designations for portions of Watson, Warren, Hillcrest Drive and Garfield Avenue, and possibly other stretches of Wauwatosa Avenue.

AT A GLANCE

The following is a timeline of the Wheeler house, 1839 Wauwatosa Ave., and Wauwatosa Avenue that runs outside its front door.

1891: The street is known as Wauwatosa Road and is little more than a widened path, the north-south dividing line in Wauwatosa Township until a streetcar line is established this year between Milwaukee and Wauwatosa.

1897: The unimproved lot was valued at $450. The house is built, bringing its value to $2,800.

1898-1939: Lyman and Mabel Wheeler move into the house. He works as a lawyer with a downtown firm and is Wauwatosa city attorney for many years. He leads the Civic Association of Wauwatosa, and she's a founding member of the Wauwatosa Women's Club.

1898: The road is graded and graveled.

1919: Wauwatosa Avenue becomes a paved road.

1939-80: Dr. Hulbert and Ruth Bardenwerper live in the home. They add the breakfast nook in the kitchen.

1982-97: College professors John and Julie Stoffels own the home. During their time as the residents, they re-roof the house, remodel the kitchen, add a third-floor bathroom, open up a staircase to the third floor and install a skylight.

1997-present: Dentist Ron and wife Gale Lange live in the house. They paint the house pink, with green, yellow and red trim.

Source: Wauwatosa Historical Society