Article: WAUWATOSA TOUR'S QUEEN ANNE HOUSE KEEPS HER PAST HIDDEN Victorian Secrets; Homes offer special features The Wauwatosa Historical Society's tour Saturday will feature six Victorian homes, built from 1886 to 1910, that have been restored or renovated. Most are within walking distance of one another in a historic neighborhood: The home of Gerard and Janice Phelan, 1806 N. 74th St., was built in 1886 and is the oldest on the tour. It features Victorian elegance in the living and dining rooms, along with a newly remodeled kitchen. The classic exterior of the home of Scott and Jackie Siebol, built in 1890, hides a wealth of practical renovations. A coach house on the grounds contains a second-floor workshop. The yard won a Wauwatosa beautification award in 1995. The home of John and Janet Ingold, 1863 N. 71st St., was built in 1893. It has an unusual foyer with two side-by-side entrances to what had been two separate parlors on the main floor. The home of John Schafer and Susan Ellingson, 7326 Hillcrest Drive, was built in 1894. On the outside, it is pure Victorian with its third-floor gable and front porch. Inside, it has been redesigned to maximize open space and light. Built in 1897, the home of Harold and Janice Eick, 2122 N. 72nd St., features refinished oak and maple floors, antique furniture and family heirlooms. The yard contains a barn and award-winning garden. The home of Stan and Jan Sekula is at 1827 N. 73rd St. (See accompanying story). Proceeds from the tour will support the restoration of the Kneeland-Walker Mansion, headquarters for the historical society. Tickets cost $8 in advance, $10 on tour day. For information on advance tickets, call 774-8672.

Stan and Jan Sekula have come to think of their home as a mystery house.

"When we bought it three years ago we were told it was a Queen Anne Victorian that was built in 1906," she says. "The only problem is that the city didn't have any record of it being here at that time."

Nor was there any evidence of it at their address on 73rd St. some five or even 10 years later. It showed up on the tax roles in the 1920s, but it couldn't have been constructed then: "They weren't building Victorians anymore," says Jan Sekula. "Besides, the house had gasoliers, and if it was built that late, it would have had electricity." The house's history is coming to the fore now as the Wauwatosa Historical ...

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