The Wauwatosa Historical Society’s 36th Annual Tour of Homes takes place Saturday, Oct. 4, offering access to five historic Tosa buildings from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The theme for this year’s event is “Wandering Wauwatosa,” and it highlights a mix of buildings, including homes, public buildings and more:
- Capt. Henry and Catherine Leisk House, 2114 Wauwatosa Ave., an 1888 Queen Anne home built for Scotsman Henry Leisk who began a long career as a sea and lake captain from the age of 22. Leisk came to the U.S. in 1873 and married Catherine Tainsh – who was born in Milwaukee in 1846 – a year later. They lived in this house until 1904 but didn’t go far, as Leisk died at their Kenwood Avenue home in 1927. Later, this house was home to the Warren family, The house later became home to the Warren family, members of which were among the earliest settlers of Wauwatosa.
- Former Home for Dependent Children, 9480 Watertown Plank Rd. This 1898 cream city brick building, which is now home to Milwaukee County Parks offices, was designed by Walter Holbrook as the administration building for the Milwaukee County Home for Dependent Children.
- Eschweiler Manor, 9841 Eschweiler Dr., is one of two surviving Alexander C. Eschweiler-designed Milwaukee County School of Agriculture and Domestic Economy buildings on the County Grounds. The 1912 building was in recent years renovated into a private residence.
- Wauwatosa East High School lobby, 7500 Milwaukee Ave. Take a peek inside the lovely lobby of this Art Deco school, decorated with tilework, marble and recently rediscovered murals. Tile expert Ben Tyjeski will be on-site to talk about the handmade Continental Faience & Tile Company tiles.
- Kneeland-Walker House, Carriage House & Cider Shed, 7406 Hillcrest Dr., an 1890 Queen Anne mansion that is home to the Wauwatosa Historical Society.
The event raises funds for the historical society’s work preserving records and collections, offering educational programming and maintaining two historic Tosa properties, including the Kneeland-Walker House and the Little Red Store, the latter of which was heavily damaged by recent flooding.
Tickets are $35 general admission and $30 for WHS members.
For more information and to buy tickets, visit wauwatosahistoricalsociety.org/event/tour-of-homes-2025.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press. A fifth collects Urban Spelunking articles about breweries and maltsters.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has been heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.