Kneeland Family

The first owner, and the man who had the house built, was Norman Kneeland.  Mr. and Mrs. Kneeland lived here with four of their seven children.

Mr. Kneeland had been a manufacturer in New York before moving to Wisconsin and purchasing a farm in what is now the Washington Park area.  They sold the farm and moved here in 1890, just before Wauwatosa was incorporated (1892).  The well-to-do Kneelands were active locally in both civic and social affairs.

Mr. Kneeland died in 1900, but the house remained in his family until 1917.  The house next door to the west was built for one of their daughters.

Walker Family

Emery Walker, vice president of Kieckhefer Box Co., purchased the home in 1917. The Walkers raised their three daughters in this house.

A creative man with an engineering degree from Cornell University, Walker was also an inventor.  He enjoyed maintaining and improving the home, adding bathrooms, remodeling the kitchen area, and installing other conveniences. They also kept several horses in the Coach House and paddock.

After the death of his wife, Mr. Walker remarried and remained in the house until his death in 1965.  The second Mrs. Walker lived here until her death in 1985.

Wauwatosa Historical Society -Current Owners-

In 1987, the Wauwatosa Historical Society purchased the 1 1/2 acre property (including the house and grounds) for $225,000 for use as its headquarters.  For nearly 100 years, only two familes lived here and its present name, the Kneeland-Walker House, honors those occupants. The house is now a model for historic preservation and a center for Society and community events.

The purchase was a tremendous undertaking; the Society will always be grateful to the individuals, businesses, and organizations who contributed.

The Kneeland-Walker House is a designated Wauwatosa Landmark, a Milwaukee County Landmark, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.