Built 1870 (1870) Opened 1871 | Designated CP August 23, 1982 Phone +1 414-273-8288 | |
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Location 2590 S. Superior Street
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Part of Bay View Historic District (#82000686) Address 2590 S Superior St, Milwaukee, WI 53207, USA Similar Pryor Avenue Iron Well, South Shore Park Pavilion, North Point Light, Charles Allis Art Museum, Ice Age Visitor Center | ||
The Beulah Brinton House is a historically and architecturally significant house at 2590 S. Superior Street in the Bay View neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States.
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History
Beulah Brinton was an admired and important figure in Bay View's early history. In the 1870s new immigrant workers (primarily from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Italy) flocked to Bay View to work at the Bay View Rolling Mill. As recent immigrants, they usually did not speak English, sometimes needed medical assistance, and were homesick and in need of recreation and a community. Brinton welcomed the workers and their families into her home, where she taught them how to read, sew, and perform other valuable skills.
To introduce Bay View residents to tennis, she built a tennis court in her side yard so they could learn and play the sport, which was relatively new to the United States. She kept tennis rackets in a box on her back porch so they were readily available. Brinton encouraged theater, and often played the piano so that couples could dance. Her collection of over 300 books became the first library in Bay View. What Brinton did with her home was similar to the efforts Jane Addams put into the more renowned Hull House (though Beulah Brinton house activities pre-date the Hull House).
Today
Today, the Beulah Brinton House is the headquarters for the Bay View Historical Society. It is frequently used in Society functions. The Bay View Historical Society Archives are upstairs, and are available for viewing during the afternoon of every third Saturday of the month. Also upstairs is the gift shop, which sells vintage-style postcards of early Bay View. The Beulah Brinton house contains an archive of antiques in the home, including dresses, hats, photos, and paintings from the 1870s. Starting in November 2016, the home will be the venue for an annual concert series organized by HouseConcertsMKE.com.