It has never been a home, but Wauwatosa East High School will have plenty of history to share on Oct. 4 when it is one of five properties featured in the Wauwatosa Historical Society's annual Tour of Homes.
Tosa East's often overlooked west entrance from Wauwatosa Avenue is located in the oldest section of the building, dating to 1931, and the entrance's lobby features well-preserved tile-work and evocative Depression-era murals that had long been hidden from view until they were uncovered about 20 years ago.
The horizontal murals, one high on the wall to the left of the lobby and the other on the facing wall, were painted by modernist artist Myron Nutting in 1933 and 1934 as part of the Federal Arts Project. The murals measure four by 16 feet, and they feature a variety of characters, including farmers, scientists, engineers, artists, musicians and writers.
The murals had been hidden behind plaster and mesh since a school renovation project in the 1970s, but they were rediscovered in 2001 when the Wauwatosa Historical Society was preparing an alumni display for the display cases near the entrance. The plaster was removed, and the murals were restored by conservator Anton Rajer in a project completed in 2004.
"Alongside these bold murals, the lobby showcases striking tilework from the Continental Faience & Tile Company of South Milwaukee," the historical society said in a newsletter article promoting the Tour of Homes. "Handmade tiles were common in interwar schools, but Tosa East’s examples rank among Wisconsin’s finest."
The entrance itself is a remarkable example of the Art Deco style, including the words "HIGH SCHOOL" set in the wall above the doors on the outside of the building.
When this portion of the high school was built in 1931, it was known simply as Wauwatosa High School and replaced an earlier high school building located across the street. The wall above the Wauwatosa Avenue entrance originally rose to a distinctive tower, which years later was removed because it had fallen into disrepair.
Additions to that original building in the following decade, including the auditorium, filled in the block of Wauwatosa Avenue south around the corner of Milwaukee Avenue. The gym, pool and other amenities were added later in other projects that expanded the building's footprint father east.
In 1961, when a new high school opened on the west side of the city, it was named Wauwatosa West. The historic building was renamed Wauwatosa East High School, with a main entrance on Milwaukee Avenue.
Plenty more historical info will be offered for those attending the 36th annual Tour of Homes, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 4. Tickets are $35, or $30 for historical society members. The other four locations are:
- Captain Henry and Catherine Leisk House, 2114 Wauwatosa Ave.
- Former Home for Dependent Children, 9480 Watertown Plank Road
- Eschweiler Manor, 9841 Eschweiler Drive
- Kneeland-Walker House, Carriage House & Cider Shed, 7406 Hillcrest Drive
Each site will have a docent to share stories about the buildings and answer questions.
The annual tour is a fundraiser for the Wauwatosa Historical Society, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving historical records and collections, funding educational programs and maintaining two city historical sites, the Kneeland-Walker House and the Little Red Store.
More information is available on the historical society’s website.
