Milwaukee’s Historic Water Tower Neighborhood, which covers the city’s historic East Side, is one of the largest and most beautiful residential historic districts in the country. Our homes are listed in an number of overlapping city and federal historic districts!

More than 1,000 of our neighborhood’s historic homes have won the honor of being recognized by inclusion in five National Register of Historic Places districts. This designation makes certain renovations eligible for 25% state income-tax credits. HWTN paid for the neighborhood surveys that won these National Register designations, so we strongly encourage you to take advantage of these credits. Tax-credit applications need to be approved before any work begins – so plan accordingly.

Our neighborhood also enjoys the protections of the City of Milwaukee’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). Guidelines in place, in part because of HWTN activism, protect the entire neighborhood from destruction. Homeowners are required to follow historically appropriate guidelines for all exterior renovations and receive specific approvals from the HPC for projects.