MILWAUKEE — Under a new proposal, crews would deconstruct and then preserve a historic pavilion attached to Milwaukee's Pabst Mansion. The pavilion was once on display during the World Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. In its place, crews would build a new pavilion for the public to use and admire.
In order to do that, the nonprofit that manages the Pabst Mansion needs to submit an application for a "Certificate of Appropriateness" from the city of Milwaukee's historic preservation commission.
That will help them carefully deconstruct the pavilion and preserve what they call salvageable elements. They then plan on reconstructing the building that was originally added to the property as a "free-standing airing porch," according to a news release.
The pavilion once upon a time was the location of the mansion's gift shop. But it has been closed since the summer of 2022 over safety concerns.
The Certificate of Appropriateness
Currently the pavilion and everything part of the Pabst Mansion grounds fall under the city of Milwaukee's Historic Preservation Commission. While the pavilion is not original to the construction of the mansion in 1892, it still must obtain the Certificate of Appropriateness from the city, in order to move forward with deconstruction.
The pavilion was built as a temporary interior structure for the World Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. When the world's fair concluded, the pavilion was added to the Pabst Mansion as an "auxiliary airing porch, with full exterior exposure," by Frederick Pabst in 1895.
[The Pabst Brewing Company is named after the man. He built the mansion as a home for his family from 1892 to 1908. It has since become a well-known tourist attraction (and haunted Halloween experience) in Milwaukee.]
The key thing here is the word temporary. Mansion staff say the pavilion was not designed to be a permanent exterior structure located in Wisconsin’s 'extreme weather.'
According to the news release from the mansion:
"...it was not constructed with appropriate materials or details such as flashing and insulation. For over a century, the pavilion’s deteriorating status has been well documented. Despite regular stabilization efforts, the structure of the pavilion has gradually fallen into disrepair and now must be carefully deconstructed before it can be restored."
Luckily with recent developments in documentation tools and terra cotta repair work, mansion staff says a big re-do is now feasible. They are working with the UW-Milwaukee's Historic Preservation Institute to create a 3D scan of the pavilion using advanced laser scanning tools and recording techniques.
"By documenting the pavilion in this manner, missing and deteriorated pieces can be recast using 3D printing technology in Milwaukee. The reconstructed pavilion will be constructed with a proper back-up structure, movement joints, weather proofing and insulation and other technologies necessary for an outdoor location, ensuring its integrity for decades to come."
The Historic Preservation Commission is scheduled to consider the application during a May 1, 2023 meeting.
Read the announcement shared with TMJ4 News:
MILWAUKEE – Today, the Pabst Mansion, Inc. announced plans to submit an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) from the City of Milwaukee’s Historic Preservation Commission to carefully deconstruct and preserve salvageable elements of the pavilion structure adjacent to the Historic Pabst Mansion with plans to reconstruct the building which was originally added to the property as a free-standing airing porch.
“With new, advanced technology right here in Milwaukee, we will be able to restore the pavilion as it originally existed on the Pabst property as an airing porch,” said Mame McCully, Interim Executive Director of the Pabst Mansion, Inc. “Our first step to restoring the pavilion is to carefully and intentionally deconstruct the salvageable elements for scanning, documentation and preservation until it can be reconstructed.”
Though not original to the construction of the 1892 Pabst Mansion, the pavilion, and all elements of the Pabst Mansion grounds, fall under the purview of the City of Milwaukee’s Historic Preservation Commission. As a result, Pabst Mansion, Inc. must secure a COA in order to move forward with deconstruction.
The pavilion was built as a temporary interior structure for the World Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago and was added to the Pabst Mansion as an auxiliary airing porch, with full exterior exposure, by Captain Pabst in 1895. Since the pavilion was not designed to be a permanent exterior structure located in Wisconsin’s extreme weather, it was not constructed with appropriate materials or details such as flashing and insulation. For over a century, the pavilion’s deteriorating status has been well documented. Despite regular stabilization efforts, the structure of the pavilion has gradually fallen into disrepair and now must be carefully deconstructed before it can be restored.
With recent advancements in documentation tools and terra cotta repair work, the undertaking of reconstructing the pavilion is now feasible. Pabst Mansion is working closely with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Historic Preservation Institute to create a 3D scan of the pavilion, using advanced laser scanning tools and recording techniques to document the structure. By documenting the pavilion in this manner, missing and deteriorated pieces can be recast using 3D printing technology in Milwaukee. The reconstructed pavilion will be constructed with a proper back-up structure, movement joints, weather proofing and insulation and other technologies necessary for an outdoor location, ensuring its integrity for decades to come.
“As an organization, we are dedicated to celebrating the legacy of the Pabst family and its impact on the citizens, history and culture of the Greater Milwaukee community, most notably through the preservation and ongoing operation of the family’s 1892 historic Pabst Mansion,” said McCully. “The deconstruction of the pavilion enables us to preserve the pavilion before it is lost, while we work towards our plan to reconstruct the pavilion.”
Pabst Mansion, Inc. is currently working to develop estimates and a work plan for major investments in the mansion’s exterior envelope and anticipates a capital campaign to support this work. It would then turn its attention to the reconstruction of the pavilion as a free-standing airing porch. Updates to the mansion’s exterior would also be under the purview of the Historic Preservation Commission and require a separate COA this year.
“The Pabst Mansion is an incredible historic asset,” said Kathy Kean, Historic Preservation Advocate. “I appreciate and support the focus on the future of the mansion, and the careful consideration of what is best for the long-term preservation of both the mansion itself, and the pavilion structure.”
The City of Milwaukee’s Historic Preservation Commission is expected to consider the COA application at its May 1, 2023 meeting.
ABOUT THE PABST MANSION:
Pabst Mansion, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the legacy of the Pabst family and its impact on the citizens, history and culture of the Greater Milwaukee community, including through the preservation and ongoing operation of the family’s 1892 historic Pabst Mansion, which now operates as a house museum. Learn more by visiting: www.pabstmansion.com [pabstmansion.com]
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