History

In order to provide access to downtown Milwaukee, Captain Pabst opened a street in 1891 that ran east-west through the middle of his land (today known as Lloyd Street).  Right-of-way was granted to the Milwaukee and Wauwatosa Rapid Transit Companies for the construction of a streetcar line.

The land north of Lloyd Street was eventually subdivided into rectangular blocks and developed into residential properties.  Even after Captain Pabst's death in 1904, the remaining 133 acres of farm south of Lloyd Street remained virtually unchanged.  As late as 1910 the fields were still producing hops.

Development continued in a westerly direction and eventually surrounded the remainder of the Pabst Farm.  The City of Milwaukee opened the prestigious Washington Boulevard and provided a connecting link between the popular Washington Park and 60th Street.  This intersection would eventually become the doorway to what would become the Washington Highlands.  The heirs to Captain Pabst's estate chose to subdivide the farm and hired renowned German city planner Dr. Werner Hegemann (1881-1936) to design the subdivision.  In 1916, Dr. Hegemann and American landscape architect, Elbert Peets (1886-1968) created a carefully considered land plan using the advanced concepts of England's Garden City Movement,  The Garden City movement forwarded the concept that living environments should be healthful, peaceful and free from the intrusions of industrialization.

Dr. Hegemann's master plan for the Washington Highlands included the preservation of Schoonmacher Creek, the inclusion of private parks, and the use of building standards and design controls to govern lot size, building design and placement.  Streets were sited to follow and preserve the meanderings of the site's topography, to preserve mature trees, and to minimize traffic through the area.   The plan contained sites for large and small single-family homes, two-family and four-family flats on the perimeter, a commercial center and a school which was never built.  In order to preserve the areas rolling landscape common to Wisconsin, Hegemann and Peets incorporated split-grade boulevards into the plan where one lane of a street sits as much as ten feet higher or lower than its sister lane.

The earliest building permits date from 1918 but only eight homes were constructed prior to 1920.  Great growth occurred during the period 1920 to1930 where 287 new houses were built.  While the Great Depression of the 1930's slowed construction considerably, by the year 1940, 86% of the district's 373 primary structures had been completed.

Dr. Hegemann designed a planned community that was meant to attract affluent professional people as well as worker/tradespeople who were of more modest means.  The central core of large and medium-sized lots for single-family residences was surrounded on the perimeter by a mix of single, dual- and multi-family homes. 

The membership for the Washington Homes Association is composed of all owners of residences within the subdivision.  All affairs of the association are managed by a Board of Directors composed of nine individuals elected from and by the association's membership. The Washington Homes Association has been active since 1918 and continues to play an instrumental role in preserving its distinctive atmosphere.  Like many of the America's most prominent suburban developments of that period, the Washington Highlands was protected by establishment of deed restrictions.  These restrictions specified not only building setbacks, which varied according to Hegemann & Peets' design concepts for each street, but also minimum cost for dwellings ($4000 in 1918).  The Washington Homes Association was tasked with approving the design of each new dwelling prior to construction.  These approvals insured that it met the expressed goal of "maintenance of harmony in appearance" of the building with its surroundings.

In accordance with Hegemann's and Peet's design plans and goals, the Washington Highlands neighborhood continues to maintain a unique sense of cohesion.  Buildings are united in scale, set-back, caliber of design and in materials used.  Because the design review procedure applies not only to new construction but also to alterations, the Washington Homes Association still continues to carefully watch over the Washington Highlands.  This review process is essentially an on-going continuing preservation effort that is responsible for the unusually high degree of building integrity within the neighborhood.

The Washington Homes Association hired Bruce and Cynthia Lynch in 1987 to research and prepare nomination forms to the National Register of Historic Places.  Their hard work and diligence were rewarded when the Washington Highlands Historic District was officially listed on the National Register in December, 1989.  In 1991, the Wauwatosa Landmarks Commission, through the power of the Wauwatosa Common Council, selected the Washington Highlands Historic District as the official 1991 Wauwatosa Landmark.