The Religious Past of the Haunted Brumder Mansion

After the English couple sold the mansion, a group much different than the brothers that owned the speakeasy purchased the property. The Brumder Mansion would begin to see a completely different way of living and purpose. In this article, you will learn about the religious past of the haunted Brumder Mansion.

During the 1960s, the Brumder Mansion underwent significant changes. The neighboring Lutheran Church that was situated just two doors down bought the property. The church wished to use it as a parsonage and to hold church activities. On the second floor, a youth chapel was established in what is now called George’s Suite. The church also had a reputation for taking in youth in need of guidance , who were not on the straight and narrow path.  

Other rooms in the mansion became offices. The ballroom was also put to good use , turned into a Christian coffee house. Live music was offered for entertainment. A group called the Catacombs would play, which was part of the church’s outreach program. As time passed, rooms on the first and second floors were rented out to people looking for office space and a place to meet. In the Gold Suite, a radio station was even established.

When the 1990s arrived, the repair work and other upkeep duties of the mansion became increasingly hard for the Lutheran Church to pay for and maintain. When the mansion suffered a complete breakdown of the central heating system, the church had no choice but to put it back on the market. They were unable to pay for fixing the property, especially when the pipes burst after the last fiasco. Other issues with the home included a bad roof and a buckling floor in the ballroom.

Thanks to Carol Hirschi, the Brumder Mansion found a new owner in 1997. She was interested in restoring the home to its former glory. By this time, the Concordia District had been declared a bed and breakfast district. The city of Milwaukee wished to revitalize the neighborhood and encourage growth at the same time.

It was going to take a lot to bring the old mansion back to life. First, Carol replaced the central heating system and repaired the roof. New radiators and plumbing was installed. She then went to work on taking away the signs that the building had been used for something other than a grand living space, such as restoring the oak woodwork and floors.

To make sure she had enough money to finance her restoration dreams, Carol turned the mansion into a bed and breakfast, which opened in 1998. All of this was made possible when room on the second floor became available. Carol was quite the entrepreneur, as she was also an artist and actress. She was able to raise funds by creating a theatre group known as the Cornerstone Theatre. The ballroom was transformed into a playhouse theatre, which is how a licensed space that sat 75 people was born. A stage, risers, and a sound booth were installed. Extra rooms in the basement served as changing rooms for actors. Special events also took place on the property, including a Dinner with Charles Dickens around Christmastime and Halloween events.