A few Sundays ago I decided to explore the Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion.
It was an ideal day for it since the temperatures outside only reached the single digits and we were forced to postpone any outdoor activities in fear of frostbite. Plus, I've already endured numerous ungodly Wisconsin winters over the last 20 years or so, but I had not yet experienced the Pabst Mansion tour. With that being said, we hardly even had to chew on the idea before venturing out on that cold afternoon to discover the history of the Pabst Mansion and learn what we'd been missing.
I know that Pabst Blue Ribbon beer is a city icon, but I also know that the Pabst empire wasn’t built over night. Therefore, I was eager to be schooled in the history of Captain Frederick Pabst, the founder of the world famous beer, by touring his restored home, which showcases the beer baron's lifestyle in a very personal way.
About a century ago there were some 80 majestic estates that lined Wisconsin Avenue, which actually used to be known as Grand Avenue. And even though the Pabst Brewery headquarters and the factory have relocated years ago, the Captain’s house still prominently stands in Milwaukee as a reminder of the city's past.
Originally Wisconsin Avenue was called Spring Street, but was renamed Grand Avenue in homage to a swelling population of city pioneers who selected the properties along the road for their mansions, explains Chicago Tribune writer Helen Anderson on the history of Milwaukee.
The Pabst Mansion is nestled in between commercial buildings on the edge of Marquette University campus, a somewhat seedy part of town. I have driven past the place many times, but never realized the significance of the oddly placed, gray stone residence.
Built for Captain Frederick Pabst in 1892 on brewery-owned land – a custom popular with 19th century industrialists – the Pabst Mansion cost $250,000 at the time of its construction and now marks one of the most significant residential landmarks in Milwaukee today.
We arrived at 2 p.m. after finding parking on the street. Then, we followed a sign that directed us to the glass-domed building attached to the side of the estate where we met a friendly woman who sold us our tickets. Normally adults pay $8 for general admission, but Eric and I splurged and opted for the Magnificent Three Pass that includes not only the Pabst Mansion, but the Villa Terrace and Charles Allis Museums for only $10. (I'll visit the other two sometime during this spring or summer.) We were then informed that tours run on the hour and that we’d have to wait a few minutes until the other group was finished. To kill time we decided to browse the Victorian gift shop that boasts everything for beer lovers including ceramic steins, PBR glassware and T-shirts, and plenty of Victorian knickknacks and even 19th century jewelry for collectors.
Finally, we were summoned to enter the mansion through a door that opened into the dining room and I’m positive my jaw dropped. The room was a splendid wash of gold, gold, GOLD and an elegant setting graced the fancy table in the middle of the banquet hall. The golden walls were enhanced by the panoramic landscape paintings hanging above each doorway and the clamshell moldings along the ceiling. The room and the rest of the estate were incredible and unlike anything I had ever seen before. Its sheer size was daunting!
Within its 20,000-square feet are five levels and 37 rooms, but we only got to tour the first and second floors as much of the building is being renovated. It’s a true mansion by every definition of the word: it’s grand, it’s old, it’s hand-crafted, and you’re not allowed to touch anything! But it was warm inside, so that alone was a plus.
Cameras also weren’t allowed and I wasn’t going to press my luck, especially within such intimate quarters where I’d most likely be caught by one of the eight people on the tour with us. Instead, you can take a virtual photo tour here if you really want to see what I’m talking about. But, I must say that not even those pictures or my verbose descriptions could do the Pabst Mansion justice.
First, we moved from the dinning room and conjugated in the marble-floored entry to the Reception Hall where an enormous wrought iron chandelier sporting massive elk antlers, oak leaves and acorns hovered over our heads. This wasn’t the original light fixture, it was an exact replica though. Half of the lights even used electricity while the others functioned on gas. This was highly extraordinary because electricity was rarely found in homes at that time. Evidently, the Pabst Mansion set the tone for modern homes as it had gas, electric, and hot and cold water.
As we stood under the chandelier our tour guide introduced us to the house and gave us the 411 on the Pabst family and the history of the Brewery and the Pabst empire. While our tour guide made jokes, we decided to stray and found an awesome view that exemplified the size of the home. Standing in the Reception Hall, we looked up and could see up two more levels as the grand staircase wound up and up and up. I was very excited to explore more of the place.
Finally, we were lead room to room where we were told accounts of a day in the life of a beer mogul. We learned a lot. Each room had woodworking that was different and elaborate and was all hand-carved from the finest woods like oak, birch and maple. Paintings and photographs adorned every wall and elegant moldings and liquid gold created glorious art on the ceiling. There also was an abundance of stained glass, which is beautiful, and as many as seven fireplaces! Yes, seven.
Speaking of the artwork, it was interesting to learn that many of the paintings on display weren’t originals. In fact, they were borrowed from the rival Blatz Mansion’s collection as space filler until the original paintings are found. In 2005, Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. had exciting news as 18 of the Captain’s purchased paintings were recovered from a South Side warehouse. At this time 11 have been rightfully returned. If you’d like to read more about this discovery, click here. It’s an interesting read.
Next, we were lead into the Ladies Parlor. After being painstakingly restored to its original grandeur, the entire room was Barbie Doll pink and shiny gold. This is where the women would gather after dinner as the men would unwind in the Music Room over tumblers of brandy while the hired pianist tickled the ivories on the grand piano.
But, the best room was the study. It had 14 secret hand-carved wooden cabinets that were inlaid into the wall around the room and looked like normal oak-wood paneling since none of them had handles. Besides the Victorian architectural detail in the woodwork, the study had a hand-painted ceiling that was embellished with German words of wisdom and sayings from the Captain himself. There also was a well-stocked cigar humidor that nearly took up one entire wall.
Then, we were lead up the grand staircase to the second floor. As we climbed the winding steps, I admired the paintings on the wall that hung in dappled sunlight. These paintings were primarily of sheep and cows, which were themes reminiscent of the time, according to our tour guide. It was common for wealthy folks to have paintings of livestock because they believed it was a sign of job stability – not that the Pabst family needed to worry about that!
In fact, the Pabst legacy began when the Captain married Maria Best of Best Brewing Company (or Milwaukee "Beast" as dubbed by many locals). He later purchased half the interest and turned the company into the world’s largest producer of Lager, and then renamed it Pabst Brewery. The rest is history.
The Captain lived an affluent and good life until the early 1900s when he was plagued with a slew of health problems. We learned that an elevator was built for the Captain to aid in his mobility since he was getting very weak. Unfortunately, the Captain died in 1904 just before it was completed and two years later, Maria passed on as well. You can take a look here for the in-depth history of Captain Frederick Pabst and his beer brewing empire.
Near the mentioned elevator’s entrance is the sitting room for Maria. It once was covered in Victorian-style floral wallpaper that was framed by cherry woodwork and a pink marble fireplace and family photos that were sprinkled around the room. This was Maria’s retreat, a place where she could go to read or do needlework and so on. But, without the black and white photos that were the bulk of the exhibit on the second floor, we would never know how pretty her room was and we would have no solid recollection of how the mansion used to look upstairs.
You see, Eric and I learned that when the Captain and Maria passed away, their estate was sold to the Milwaukee Roman Catholic Archdiocese in 1908 to house the archbishop and several priests and nuns for many, many years. The Archdiocese learned that maintaining the mansion was tough, so it began to lose its luster. In 1975, the Pabst Mansion was sold again with the intention of demolishing it to build a parking structure, our tour guide told us. At that time, all of the 80 mansions were bulldozed and Grand Avenue was renamed Wisconsin Avenue. Thankfully, Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. bought the Pabst Mansion with a state grant and opened it to the public as a historic museum in 1978. Since then, the Pabst Mansion is slowly being restored room by room.
Besides Maria's Sitting Room there was the master bedroom and the kid’s rooms upstairs. Most of these were in the process of being refurbished, so they also showcased black and white photos to reveal the original designs. I seriously can’t believe anyone would paint over the hand-painted ceilings or rip down the gorgeous moldings. It’s unbelievable. However, I'm glad that people cared enough to work thoroughly to preserve the Pabst Mansion's splendor.
Lastly, we were lead back downstairs and into the kitchen that was next to the dinning room and the servant’s dining room was next to that. The butler’s pantry was located right off the kitchen and was room for the giant safe located behind a massive door. This is where the Captain kept all of his important documents and valuables and only the butler and the Captain had the key.
We learned so much that it'd be impossible to fit my entire experience into this one post without writing a novel about each of the rooms and their elegant furnishings, elaborate wall coverings, rare art, and the treasure trove of historical artifacts.
For a history buff like me, it was the perfect way to spend a wintry Wisconsin afternoon. I found it completely fascinating! If you live in Milwaukee or nearby, the Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion tour needs to be on your “To Do” list! You get a real taste of the city’s history and you get to see how all of the movers and shakers lived at the turn of the century in Milwaukee.
The Pabst Mansion is gradually returning back to its glory days and it begs to be explored. Click here for information on its other educational and special group tours.
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The Captain Frederick Pabst Mansion
2000 West Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53233
Hours: Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m.
(Closed Mondays mid-January, February, and Easter, but open Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day)
Tickets: $8 Adults, $7 Seniors/Students, $4 Children ages 6 to 17, and Free for children under 6 years of age
I've lived around Milwaukee for years and also hadn't gone to the Pabst Mansion, well, I still haven't actually.
I never knew about any of the history you mentioned (thanks for all of the links by the way, the photo tour was cool and so was the article about the paintings they found at that warehouse). The tour actually sounds interesting. For some reason I didn't think it would be as cool as you make it seem. I guess I'll plan to go sometime. I hear it's pretty cool around Xmas because it's decorated for the holidays.
Posted by: sarah | February 28, 2008 at 12:31 PM