Renovating Your Historic Home
CITY REQUIREMENTS
City ordinances protect many of the historic homes and other buildings in the HWTN from inappropriate changes and destruction. These protections benefit us all. As a result, each of us in a local historic district is required to obtain advance approvals from the Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) for any exterior work on our properties.
City staff is dedicated to working with residents like us, and they’re also very knowledgeable and dedicated to preserving our neighborhood.
For more information, please contact HPC staff, to apply for approvals here on HPC’s website.
HOW TO RESTORE YOUR HISTORIC HOME
The City of Milwaukee offers copies of excellent restoration guides and is available to homeowners in historic districts at this link: City of Milwaukee Publication’s Department
Preservation Guidebooks & Regulations available include:
- Living with History: A Guide to the Preservation Standards for Historically Designated Houses in Milwaukee
- As Good As New: A Guide for Rehabilitating the Exterior of Your Older House
- Good for Business: A Guide to Rehabilitating the Exteriors of Older Commercial Buildings
- Brochure: City Requirements for Your Historic Property
Join the Historic Water Tower Neighborhood Association
Our Membership is for 1 year and renews on your anniversary.
HWTN is one of the city’s oldest existing neighborhood organizations and includes the largest group of historic homes in Wisconsin. We work to support historic preservation and neighborhood improvement in our area. . Our neighborhood has been rated as one of the most walkable in Milwaukee.
HWTN Calendar
Historic Water Tower Neighborhood has events throughout the year to keep members updated on local issues, current on neighborhood events, and active with social opportunities for members to enjoy! Members should watch for HWTN emails for complete details as we get closer to the event date.
2026 HWTN Parties
Click on the date for more information - link will become active once details & RSVP for event become live:
Event Details Coming for 2026! .
