HistoryThe Diederichs family came to Milwaukee as German immigrants in 1849 and bought the land on 1241 Franklin place facing Lake Michigan for $425 in 1852. The family hired the architectural firm of Mygatt and Schmidtner to design the house. The Lion house was completed in 1855 by as a Classic Revival house in the Historic First Ward Triangle. In 1859 there was a massive fire that damaged the home but was rebuilt to almost initial condition by the Diederichs family the next year. In 1861 the Diederichs went bankrupt and had to give their home to the bank. Over the years the home was owned by several different people. and the second story was added in 1896 by the Johnson family. Today it is the home of the Bradley Foundation (they purchased it in 1995), which has undergone a major interior renovation so that the home could look as it did in the 1860's. They also added on to it, but made sure the brickwork was like that of the house when it was built.
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Classic Revival Style
Classic revival style originated from early Greek and Roman architecture. It was most common in the United States from 1895-1940. The most common features of classic revival style are: columns, and front facing pediments. This style was used mostly on mansions, courthouses, banks, churches, and schools.
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The First Ward Triangle
The First Ward Triangle is a historic neighborhood in Milwaukee, full of some the oldest and most beautiful in Milwaukee. The neighborhood has all sorts of styles including, classic revival, Queen Anne Victorian, Colonial revival, Romanesque, Chateauesque, Tudor, Moderne, and Italian to Victorian Gothic. A historic study reported that in the Civil War era it became nice area for rich people to build their homes, because of how close they were to Lake Michigan.