Over the weekend, I COULD NOT resist going to the open house for this 7 bed, 5 bath, 6200 square foot home built in 1913 on Milwaukee's east side. I suppose this edition should be titled as "Project Neighbor: Mansion Edition", because this house on Shepard fully fits that description. Let me tell you—this house is extra in the best way possible. A carved oak staircase straight out of a period drama? Check. A third floor ballroom for your newfound waltzing aspirations? You bet. A sprawling 1/3-acre city lot so you can gaze out onto your domain like the royalty you clearly are? Naturally.
There’s even a chicken coop in the backyard—so you can keep it humble while living like royalty and still insist you’re totally not that fancy. Plus, with egg prices these days, it’s basically a built-in investment. See? This house practically pays for itself.
It's full of all the character you'd expect from a home of this scale and era with carved wood details, hidden closets, servants' quarters, original fountain details, sun-drenched garden room—this is not just a house. It’s a statement. This is one of those homes that makes you think, “Maybe it’s time I got some staff.”
Also, it needs to be said that there's hidden closets for your furs, your Star Wars figurines, or to finally have a spot to give your rare collection 1990s Beanie Babies the prestigious place they deserve.
There are so many special built-ins and quirky old-house features to love here. I didn’t snap a photo, but one bathroom had a cabinet with small pullouts inside—including one arched pullout that tipped toward the user. Our best guess? A built-in footrest for lacing up your shoes. I’ve never seen anything like it, but it was so cool. And unlike many old homes, thoughtful storage is everywhere, so space is definitely not an issue.
One bathroom was missing a bathtub entirely (mystery for another day), but another made up for it with a massive, deep soak-worthy beauty that must have felt downright decadent in 1913.
So. This house is an amazing project with a hefty price tag. It’s also listed on the Wisconsin Historical Registry, which adds another layer to any renovation plans. Beyond the purchase price, there’s quite a bit that needs attention. I’m sure there are inspections and reports available on MLS, but I’m not about to bother a realtor for them. From my own perspective, here’s the must-do list before move-in:
- Let’s talk about the roof—because, well, the ceilings have already spilled the tea. There are signs of water damage throughout the home, which means this is going to be a major (read: expensive) project. The roof will likely need to be replaced with either the existing cedar shake or what looks like slate to match the garage, and that decision won’t just be up to you—it’ll be guided by the watchful eyes of the Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission. So buckle up.
- Give the floors some love—decades of footsteps and rugs have added character, but a good refinishing will bring them back to their former glory.
- Plaster work—if any of it is deemed unsafe before move-in—will need to be addressed asap. Because as charming as historic homes are, you probably don’t want chunks of 100-year-old plaster making surprise appearances in your morning coffee.
- All kinds of electrical updates are needed—because right now, many of the lights are just eye candy. Hopefully, it’s nothing too dramatic, but let’s be real—rewiring a historic home of this size will not be a small job.
Once the initial repairs are checked off, it’s time to paint every wall and dive into the kitchen remodel—until then, just pick one of the many, MANY grand rooms and call it your pop-up kitchen. Meanwhile, you’ll have the luxury of living here (and tending those chickens!) while slowly taking stock of the bathrooms and all the other spaces that need some love. If done right, this will be a slow, thoughtful process—because a house like this deserves nothing less. And, since we're on the remodeling topic, the team I'd tap for a project like this is Refined Renovations because they're super talented and they'd be thoughtful and thorough with this home.
Unrelated, but I do hope these phones stay. They are super rad.
During the open house, a group of us started chatting about how special this ol' gal is—and how much we hope the future owner treats her right. If it were me, I’d revive those original details, add some seriously great tile, lean into some moody moments, and, of course, I'd create a chef’s kiss level kitchen and butler’s pantry. Basically, making this grand dame fabulous without upsetting the historic home purists.
And because, well, I'm ME, I've pulled together a bit of inspiration that I felt matched this home.
I'll be curious to see what this listing sells for. My rough estimate is this will take at least $700-800K+ to remodel/repair this house (depending on the extent of electrical work, plaster repair, foundation, misc.), and a large part if that budget (maybe $150K) will just be the roof. Alas, a roof budget of $150K is not a terribly fun way to spend money. The home prices around this house vary a lot in terms of size/scale/yard size (this yard being larger than most surrounding homes), but I'd say if someone snagged this house for $650-700K and had the seller help out with the roof, they'd likely have a heck of a deal.
There's an open house tomorrow (2/15) so take your valentine along and see this beauty for yourself!
Listing by Jay Schmidt Group.
