Birchard-Follansbee Block, Milwaukee

The Birchard-Follansbee Block was built by Alanson Follansbee in 1867 from an original design by E. Townsend Mix. The building was designed in the Italianate style with a French Second Empire mansard roof. That roof was later partially replaced when a fifth floor was added in 1899.

The building served as offices and a place of commerce for a number of different businesses. The longest-term occupant was Reckmeyer Furs, who moved into the Birchard-Follansbee Block in 1939 and stayed there for 30 years.

The building has housed the Johnson Bank since 2000. It is a popular stop on walking tours because it is centrally located between Milwaukee Bay and the Milwaukee River. visitors can admire the architecture from outside and even take a peek indoors if they want to see interiors that feature ionic capitals, a beamed ceiling and ornate trim.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and James Steakley.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Birchard-Follansbee Block
Sight Location: Milwaukee, USA (See walking tours in Milwaukee)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Historical Buildings Tour

Walking Tours in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Create Your Own Walk in Milwaukee

Creating your own self-guided walk in Milwaukee is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Historical Churches Walking Tour

Milwaukee boasts a number of beautiful historic churches, many of them are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city's religious make-up is diverse, from Catholic to Jesuit, and there are a number of Catholic churches and cathedrals. Take this self guided walking tour to admire the religious masterpieces of Milwaukee.

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles

Historical Buildings Tour

Milwaukee has no shortage of buildings of striking beauty and impressive variety of styles. Amid the abundance of the German-styled architecture, stemming from the city's root in German immigration, visitors to the city can also find buildings of French and Italian influence. Take this self-guided walk to explore the most notable historical edifices in downtown Milwaukee.

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.1 Km or 0.7 Miles

Monuments and Statues Walking Tour

Milwaukee is home to a multitude of statues and monuments of different purposes, from those honoring historic figures to entertaining ones to memorials commemorating war and its heroes and victims. There are also very unusual statues, like that to a duck and its ducklings, for instance. This self-guided walking tour allows you to explore Milwaukee's monuments and statues in their variety.

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles

Milwaukee Introduction Walking Tour

Milwaukee was an area that was inhabited by a large number of indigenous people. The earliest recorded inhabitants were the Menominee, Fox, Sauk, Potawatomi, Ojibwe and Mascouten. European settlers arrived in the early 19th century. Among those was Solomon Juneau, who is known now as the Founding Father of Milwaukee.

The city grew in size in the 1840s and 1850s. It largely attracted German... view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles