MILWAUKEE’S UNRIVALED HOTEL:The Pfister hotel is one of the social oasis and hubs on busy Wisconsin Avenue anchoring Milwaukee’s east end of downtown. The hotel has a rich history dating back to 1893 and has undergone significant renovations while still maintaining and championing the luxury atmosphere that made it noteworthy upon its opening. Today the hotel is a serene environment that provides much needed juxtaposition to the chaos of Wisconsin Avenue and its various institutions. The Pfister Hotel also serves as the most diverse hub in the city of Milwaukee bringing in guests and passersby from all walks of life from all over the world.
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People Serving People: |
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In 1890, Guido Pfister set out to create the most luxurious hotel and meeting spaces in Milwaukee. At this time Pfister, a German immigrant was a partner of one of the most successful leather tanning business's in the Midwest. To accomplish this, Pfister hired local architect Henry C. Koch, who a few year later would design the Milwaukee City Hall. Koch, chose to design the hotel in the Romanesque Revival style, which later one would give it its own unique look.
In 1962, movie theater operator Ben Marcus bought the building and intended to renovate it back to its original beauty. The intense renovation included a barber shop, drug store, soda fountain, and separate lounges for the women and men who stayed there. At this time, the vast ceiling was replaced with a gold ceiling and then in 1988 at its centennial celebration, it was updated to a beautiful fresco. Many attribute the success of the Pfister, not only to it's location and luxurious accommodations but also to a quote that is apart of the fresco in the main lobby. Above the main lobby is a quote in Latin that roughly translates to "People Serving People". In an interview with a staff member, he stressed it was “people who served people not employees who served guests, not servants who served masters, but people serving people”. The employee felt, was indicative of the ethos Marcus employed with his staff, that they were people not underlings and they were vitally important to the businesses success. |
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Project 1
Businessman and German immigrant Guido Pfister and his son Charles established the Guido Pfister Tanning Co. that later became the Pfister and Vogel Leather Co. This company was the largest leather operations in the Midwest. The two quickly became esteemed entrepreneurs and entered the hospitality industry. The father-son duo wanted to provide one of most luxurious hotel and meeting place of their time. Following their vision, The Pfister Hotel opened its doors in 1893 to the public as was known as, “The Grand Hotel of the West” by the country’s most influential business men, athletes, and celebrities. Henry C. Koch, the architect, designed the building in Romanesque Revival style and at the time of construction, it was one of the most luxurious hotels of its time. The $1 million dollar building featured groundbreaking innovations such as fireproofing, thermostats in every room, and electricity throughout. The Pfister is also home to the largest and most impressive Victoria art collection of any hotel in the world personally collected by Guido and Charles.
In 1962, movie theatre operator Ben Marcus bought the building and intended to renovate it back to its original beauty. The intense renovation included a barber shop, drug store, soda fountain, and separate lounges for the women and men who stayed there. At this time, the vast ceiling was replaced with a gold ceiling and then in 1988 at its centennial celebration, it was updated to a beautiful fresco.
Today, the Pfister is an attraction for both passer-byers and its visitors alike. It is located on Wisconsin Avenue which is the busiest road in downtown Milwaukee. The hotel is situated close to the Wells Building and the Federal Courthouse. Visitors enter through one of two entrances and are greeted by bellhops and lobby men. The main floor sports an opulent lounge surrounding a warm fireplace. On the other end of the lobby, visitors can ascend the grand red stone staircase that leads to many hallways of rooms and lounges. The Crown Room is the most impressive room in the hotel with stunning views of downtown Milwaukee.
The Pfister itself is stunningly beautiful, walking down the halls and seeing the extravagant decoration one feels a sense of luxury, on almost every floor there are exquisite Roman statues, brass ornamentation, and shadow boxes filled with old keys and guest books. However, the most intriguing part of The Pfister are the people who work, visit, and stay here. Their personal stories are what make the atmosphere at The Pfister so remarkable.
In 1962, movie theatre operator Ben Marcus bought the building and intended to renovate it back to its original beauty. The intense renovation included a barber shop, drug store, soda fountain, and separate lounges for the women and men who stayed there. At this time, the vast ceiling was replaced with a gold ceiling and then in 1988 at its centennial celebration, it was updated to a beautiful fresco.
Today, the Pfister is an attraction for both passer-byers and its visitors alike. It is located on Wisconsin Avenue which is the busiest road in downtown Milwaukee. The hotel is situated close to the Wells Building and the Federal Courthouse. Visitors enter through one of two entrances and are greeted by bellhops and lobby men. The main floor sports an opulent lounge surrounding a warm fireplace. On the other end of the lobby, visitors can ascend the grand red stone staircase that leads to many hallways of rooms and lounges. The Crown Room is the most impressive room in the hotel with stunning views of downtown Milwaukee.
The Pfister itself is stunningly beautiful, walking down the halls and seeing the extravagant decoration one feels a sense of luxury, on almost every floor there are exquisite Roman statues, brass ornamentation, and shadow boxes filled with old keys and guest books. However, the most intriguing part of The Pfister are the people who work, visit, and stay here. Their personal stories are what make the atmosphere at The Pfister so remarkable.
Project 2 |
The Pfister hotel is a mainstay of downtown Milwaukee’s East Wisconsin Avenue that provides an invaluable service as not just a hotel, but also an oasis from the fast paced world just outside its doors. The Pfister is located on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Jefferson Street, a position more or less centered on Wisconsin Avenue East of the Milwaukee River. The portion of Wisconsin Avenue that the Pfister graces is the heart of Milwaukee’s central business district with an incredible number of financial service and professional service firms located just blocks away. Among those include J.P. Morgan Chase and Northwestern Mutual, which is in the process of building two new office complexes, one a skyscraper. Additionally, Wisconsin’s tallest building, the US Bank tower is located just two block east and across the street from the Pfister. Because the Pfister is so close to these mega firms, the hotel is an ideal place for business travelers to stay. But given the hotel’s proximity to Milwaukee’s many cultural amenities and tourist attractions the Pfister provides an excellent place for leisure travelers to stay.
The Pfister hotel is located in Milwaukee’s East Town or sometimes called Juneau Town neighborhood. This neighborhood is notable for a variety of factors, but most notably for the fact that very few people live in this neighborhood. Because Wisconsin Avenue is littered with office towers and Wells street to the North and Michigan Street to the south are as well there are very few places to rent or own a home. There are some residences, however located above the storefronts on Milwaukee Street but these are the only residences that border Wisconsin Avenue. Further north, nearing the boundary of the east town neighborhood, the availability of housing increases and so does the population density. The relatively low population density for such an urban environment creates an interesting feel for the neighborhood. Many business that serve the many employees that fill the area every morning tailor their hours to serve those customer then instead of passersby on weekends and evenings. Additionally the wide sidewalks allow for a large volume of people to move quickly throughout the area but are never really packed when the commuter employees are not in the area. Interestingly, crossing the river to West Wisconsin Avenue, the opposite holds true. There riverside theater, grand avenue mall and multitude of pubs and restaurants keep the sidewalks full and crowed weekends and evenings. The strip of Wisconsin Avenue the Pfister lies on is surrounded by local landmarks and attractions. East Wisconsin Avenue is primarily a place of business but just to the north of Wisconsin Avenue lies Cathedral Square, home of Bastille Days, situated a few blocks northeast of the hotel, city hall, the Pabst Theater, and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. To the east of the hotel visitors will find the Riverside Theater, Grand Avenue Mall and Milwaukee Riverwalk. To the west, the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, Milwaukee Art Museum, and Discovery World Museum, and finally Lake Michigan. To the south of the hotel lies the interstate and beyond it Milwaukee’s third ward neighborhood. Crossing under the interstate on foot is not a pleasant experience and many visitors will not walk to this area. All of these attractions border or lie within the East Town neighborhood and provide all varieties of entertainment to hotel guests and visitors of Milwaukee. An adventurous hotel guest who explored the entire East Town Neighborhood would rarely find himself in his hotel room likely taking advantage of only his bed and none of the amenities the hotel offers. Wisconsin Avenue has always been a commercial and business district. The historic maps, and aerial photographs show that the Pfister has always been bordered by a dense business and shopping area. Furthermore the aerial photos show that this area has been the center of the city and development has spawned outward from it. But the aerial photos also add another faction of history. Beginning with the 1975 photo provided, the interstate has appeared. The freeway charges towards the lakefront and then sharply turns south while providing an on and off ramp directly into this neighborhood. The effects of the interstate will not be discussed here but simply pointed out. The on and off ramps located in this area of downtown show just how many people work in this area as well as signal they no longer live close by. The highway serves an important function in getting the masses of commuters to their places of employment in this business heavy district. The business and amenity heavy nature of East Town and Wisconsin Avenue leave visitors exhausted, which is why the Pfister’s placement is so relevant. The hotel serves as an oasis from the hustle and bustle of business travel by providing a serene environment that welcomes guests in through a few thresholds of public space and into private rooms separated from those spaces. The public spaces are spread throughout the building though so guests can enjoy the scenic views from the seventh floor the Pfister offers because of its setting, as well as the lobby and bar located just inside the doors. But the Pfister never loses sight of its primary responsibility, to be a quiet place for travelers to sleep and relax before the next leg of their journey. The tower addition on the north end of the hotel may not be as architecturally significant as the rest of the building put instead provides a threshold the public knows not to cross so that the guest can truly enjoy the relaxing experience of a hotel. The juxtaposition between a busy neighborhood and a serene relaxing experience is what makes the Pfister such an important fixture on Wisconsin Avenue. Project 3INTRO: The Pfister hotel serves as both a social hub and an oasis on Milwaukee’s Grand Avenue- Wisconsin Avenue. In project two we asserted that Wisconsin Avenue was an incredibly busy and dense place filled with workers in the financial services industry that filled the office towers from Water Street to the Art Museum. We also asserted that Wisconsin Avenue was flush with cultural amenities and within walking distance to many more. We backed up our assertions with a series of maps illustrating the location of those amenities, businesses and the continuity of the street itself, proving that East Wisconsin Avenue is a dense busy place that is best analyzed as a long strip from the bridge crossing the Milwaukee River to the lake. Finally we asserted that the Pfister was a break from the hectic life of Wisconsin Avenue. A place for resting and relaxing and a place that was stable, not rapidly changing. We had already presented evidence in project one that the Pfister was tied to Milwaukee history and it continues to be a part of it.
Upon completing project three we can say that we are not the only ones that perceive the Pfister and its Wisconsin Avenue setting as an oasis in a hectic world. Our interview with Roc at the Pfister hotel confirms our narrative is not just a narrative but reality. After our interview we further assert that the Pfister is not just an oasis but a hub. The guests that come to the Pfister serve as a cross section of the visitors to Milwaukee, some business travelers, some couples who’ve saved up for a weekend away, and perhaps some foreign dignitaries in town for various purposes. The Pfister has the unique privilege of serving that entire cross section which makes it an ideal place of study as a hub within the city. From the hotel, guests are directed all across the city to their various destinations. Some are directed to the cultural landmarks we identified in project two. Some are directed to businesses along Wisconsin Avenue the rest trickle through the city exploring, doing business, or visiting friends and relatives. But regardless of where the visitors go they originate from the Pfister. After documenting the human traces of the Pfister and interviewing those who occupy we can state beyond any doubts that the Pfister is both an oasis and a hub. It serves as a historical anchor on bustling East Wisconsin Avenue, a continuous street that is best analyzed in long chunks and also serves as a hub of cultural amenities outlined in the previous project. The Pfister is vitally important to Wisconsin avenue because it provides needed juxtaposition and vital to Milwaukee as a hub for all types of visitors. SUMMARY: The following is a summary from a long interview Sam McChesney and Hayden Newton conducted with Roc the concierge at the Pfister Hotel. Our interview with Roc was incredibly rich and after condensing the interview to this brevity we felt we could not condense it the five hundred word limit without doing a disservice to learning. Here is our summary from the interview we had with Roc: We were privileged enough to spend around an hour talking to Roc the concierge at the Pfister. Roc declined to be recorded citing security and privacy concerns of the many notable guests he wanted to share stories about. We began by asking where the hotel guests were coming from, and were informed everywhere. Many of the Pfister’s guests come from all over the world to visit Milwaukee, whether it be for business or pleasure. Many of the business guests are employees of the various financial institutions that have claimed much of the land along Wisconsin Avenue. Roc pointed out that in areas like the one the Pfister is situated in has seen a tremendous loss of retail stores, “and guests have noticed that”. Additionally, “Many of the places that used to be stores have been replaced by these big financial companies like Northwestern Mutual” The Pfister enjoys a special relationship with Northwestern Mutual whose board has decided the Pfister is the only hotel in Milwaukee they will stay at. Additionally, any employee of Northwestern Mutual that travels to Milwaukee stays in the Pfister which helps keep the hotel completely full eighty percent of the time. Roc also informed us that the Pfister is “The best deal in all of Chicago” and elaborated with stories of talking to the Mayor of Chicago and thanking him for sending so many guests this way. And of course there’s a great deal of truth to this, the Pfister costs close to half of what a comparable hotel in downtown Chicago would cost and for people who live in the northwest suburbs getting to the Pfister is just as easy given Chicago traffic. After getting these basic facts and brags out of the way Roc began to elaborate on what he thought was significant about the Pfister socially and historically. He began with the usual description of the hotels history but then began sharing anecdotes of history of Wisconsin Avenue. One of the stories he shared with us was about the lion that lived on top of the Milwaukee Public Museum that a curator had captured in Africa and brought back. He explained how frightening it was for passers-by to hear a lion roaring in the middle of the day, and that museum visitors could hear the chain the lion was on clanking from inside the building. The architect Santiago Calatrava made a particular impact on Roc. Throughout the construction of the Milwaukee Art Museum expansion Calatrava stayed in a suite at the hotel, and would stop and talk to Roc and the other staff members daily. One particular memory Roc shared was when Art Museum officials had put caution tape up at a particularly deceptive step many were tripping over. When Calatrava saw the caution tape he ripped it up and somehow wore it like a mummy and walked back to the hotel wearing it and said “look at what they did to my building”. Perhaps the most interesting part of the interview was the way Roc’s face lit up when discussing Ben Marcus. Ben Marcus bought the hotel in the sixties and restored and updated it to its current state. He also had one of the Latin murals painted in the lobby. It translates to “People serving People” Roc stressed it was “people who served people not employees who served guests, not servants who served masters, but people serving people”. The statement, Roc felt, was indicative of the ethos Marcus employed with his staff, that they were people not underlings and they were vitally important to the businesses success. Ben Marcus retired in 1991, and died in 2001, Roc mentioned he’d been working at the Pfister around 15 years. While he didn’t say its likely Roc never met Ben Marcus, yet he talked about and clearly held him in such a regard as one hold a very valuable mentor or family member. We found this the most telling part of the interview. We had researched the hotels history and rather accurately predicted its guests but never could have found this emotional connection in years of research without talking to Roc. Interviewing Roc was truly a pleasure and we came to discern how he thinks of the Pfister. Roc thinks of the Pfister as an anchor within Milwaukee’s history. Nearly every famous person who has come through Milwaukee in the past century has stayed here. This was the first truly luxury hotel Ben Marcus bought and was his entry into the Milwaukee Market. Wisconsin Avenue has changed dramatically over the past hundred and thirty years or so but the Pfister has stayed more or less the same save a few additions. Roc’s position as the concierge gives him the privilege of showing guests around the real parts of the city that they would not ordinarily see, he mentioned putting on disguises and showing Johnny Depp around town via the bus. The way in which Roc talks about the Pfister as a place people from all walks of life pass through on their way to various parts of Milwaukee leads us to assert that to Roc the Pfister is a hub, the most notable one in the city. |
Project 4 |
The Pfister hotel is one of the most socially significant buildings in Milwaukee because it has served as this oasis and hub since its inception and will continue to do so for decades to come regardless of what changes Wisconsin Avenue undergoes.
Today, the Pfister is an attraction for both passer-byers and its visitors alike. It is located on Wisconsin Avenue which is the busiest road in downtown Milwaukee. The hotel is situated close to the Wells Building and the Federal Courthouse. Visitors enter through one of two entrances and are greeted by bellhops and lobby men. The main floor sports an opulent lounge surrounding a warm fireplace. On the other end of the lobby, visitors can ascend the grand red stone staircase that leads to many hallways of rooms and lounges. The Crown Room is the most impressive room in the hotel with stunning views of downtown Milwaukee. The Pfister hotel serves as both a social hub and an oasis on Milwaukee’s Grand Avenue- Wisconsin Avenue. In project two we asserted that Wisconsin Avenue was an incredibly busy and dense place filled with workers in the financial services industry that filled the office towers from Water Street to the Art Museum. We also asserted that Wisconsin Avenue was flush with cultural amenities and within walking distance to many more. We backed up our assertions with a series of maps illustrating the location of those amenities, businesses and the continuity of the street itself, proving that East Wisconsin Avenue is a dense busy place that is best analyzed as a long strip from the bridge crossing the Milwaukee River to the lake. Finally we asserted that the Pfister was a break from the hectic life of Wisconsin Avenue. A place for resting and relaxing and a place that was stable, not rapidly changing. We had already presented evidence in project one that the Pfister was tied to Milwaukee history and it continues to be a part of it. Upon completing project three we can say that we are not the only ones that perceive the Pfister and its Wisconsin Avenue setting as an oasis in a hectic world. Our interview with Roc at the Pfister hotel confirms our narrative is not just a narrative but reality. After our interview we further assert that the Pfister is not just an oasis but a hub. The guests that come to the Pfister serve as a cross section of the visitors to Milwaukee, some business travelers, some couples who’ve saved up for a weekend away, and perhaps some foreign dignitaries in town for various purposes. The Pfister has the unique privilege of serving that entire cross section which makes it an ideal place of study as a hub within the city. From the hotel, guests are directed all across the city to their various destinations. Some are directed to the cultural landmarks we identified in project two. Some are directed to businesses along Wisconsin Avenue the rest trickle through the city exploring, doing business, or visiting friends and relatives. But regardless of where the visitors go they originate from the Pfister Wisconsin Avenue has always been a commercial and business district. The historic maps, and aerial photographs show that the Pfister has always been bordered by a dense business and shopping area. Furthermore the aerial photos show that this area has been the center of the city and development has spawned outward from it. But the aerial photos also add another faction of history. Beginning with the 1975 photo provided, the interstate has appeared. The freeway charges towards the lakefront and then sharply turns south while providing an on and off ramp directly into this neighborhood. The effects of the interstate will not be discussed here but simply pointed out. The on and off ramps located in this area of downtown show just how many people work in this area as well as signal they no longer live close by. The highway serves an important function in getting the masses of commuters to their places of employment in this business heavy district. After documenting the human traces of the Pfister and interviewing those who occupy we can state beyond any doubts that the Pfister is both an oasis and a hub. It serves as a historical anchor on bustling East Wisconsin Avenue, a continuous street that is best analyzed in long chunks and also serves as a hub of cultural amenities outlined in the previous project. The Pfister is vitally important to Wisconsin avenue because it provides needed juxtaposition, and vital to Milwaukee as a hub for all types of visitors. The business and amenity heavy nature of East Town and Wisconsin Avenue leave visitors exhausted, which is why the Pfister’s placement is so relevant. The hotel serves as an oasis from the hustle and bustle of business travel by providing a serene environment that welcomes guests in through a few thresholds of public space and into private rooms separated from those spaces. The public spaces are spread throughout the building though so guests can enjoy the scenic views from the seventh floor the Pfister offers because of its setting, as well as the lobby and bar located just inside the doors. But the Pfister never loses sight of its primary responsibility, to be a quiet place for travelers to sleep and relax before the next leg of their journey. The tower addition on the north end of the hotel may not be as architecturally significant as the rest of the building put instead provides a threshold the public knows not to cross so that the guest can truly enjoy the relaxing experience of a hotel. The juxtaposition between a busy neighborhood and a serene relaxing experience is what makes the Pfister such an important fixture on Wisconsin Avenue. |