Allis Mansion History
The Charles Allis Art Museum was originally the home of Milwaukee native Charles Allis and his wife, Sarah. Charles, the son of E.P. Allis, was the first president of the Allis-Chalmers Corporation. Charles and Sarah Ball were married in 1877. Both were very active in the Milwaukee community. He was one of the organizers of the Milwaukee Arts Society, a trustee at the Layton Art Gallery and was on the boards of many other arts and business institutions.
The year he died, 1918, Charles was serving as chairman of the Milwaukee County Council of Defense. Both he and his wife were patrons of the arts and were responsible for many acts of charity beyond the world of art.
As a result of their keen collecting instincts, the couple amassed a unique art collection with the intention of bequeathing their mansion and its contents to the public in order to delight, inspire and educate. The 1911 Tudor-style mansion is done in a Tudor Rose theme that continues throughout the exterior and interior of the house.
The Museum began its life as an Art Library and was a part of the Milwaukee County Public Library System from 1957-1978.
In 1979, the Allis Mansion was turned over to Milwaukee County, and was designated an Art Museum from that time forward. Treasures can be found throughout the Charles Allis Art Museum. It contains a collection of paintings, prints, sculptures, ceramics and more. It is largely intact with original furnishings and a rich and diverse art collection spanning nearly 2,000 years beginning with ancient glass objects blown in 1 B.C. and ending with the painters of Charles Allis' day.
To complement this collection, the Allis holds several changing exhibitions each year, which feature works by Wisconsin artists.
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