When exploring the architecture close to the intersection of Oakland Ave. and Hampton Ave. in Whitefish Bay, a wealthy suburb of Milwaukee, the house at 4860 Oakland Avenue stands out, from the mundane, common style seen throughout the area. The majority of the homes in the area are large two story homes with strongly pitched roofs, flat front facades, and a high center of gravity. This home however feels low, stable, and, rooted to the ground. After some research, the history of the home was found. The first instance in which a owner of this property was noted was from the 1933 city directory, with the name of Willamson , Russell B. archt. Not only is it interesting to find the name of the original owner, but also that he was an architect, to which the architecture students researching this home was even more inspiration to research the history of the home.
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After finding a name of a former owner and that he was an architect. It was discovered that Russell Williamson first worked as an architect in Kansas City in 1918 before competing a competition contest to design an affordable home. Soon Williamson became an intern of Frank Lloyd Wright’s and soon after started working for him. After a brief time of employment with Wright which included working on Wright's masterpiece "Imperial Hotel" in Tokyo , Williamson moved to Milwaukee where in 1921 he built a home for his wife Nola, at 4806 N. Oakland Avenue where they lived together for nearly thirty years. Until moving to the town of Oostburg Wisconsin.
Over his career, Williamson's practice involved residential design. With over 125 projects within the state of Wisconsin and several more across the nation, Russell was able to adapt any architectural style to any budget and wishes of his clients, however he is best known for creating the "affordable prairie style". Today the home is inhabited by the current owners who initially were conflicted about the home have since fallen in love with this unique property. |
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