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All the United States Wisconsin Milwaukee Mary Nohl House
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Mary Nohl House

A house and yard adorned with bizarre concrete sculptures in a Milwaukee suburb.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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The Mary Nohl art environment in 2009.   Kevin Hansen/CC BY-SA 3.0
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About

The affluent Lake Michigan beachside suburb of Fox Point contains a curious sculpture garden created by the artist Mary Nohl (1914-2001). The crude appearance of the concrete statues of fish, monsters, and humans might, at first glance, have the appearance of naive, or outsider, art. But Ms. Nohl was no outsider. She was trained at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Local urban legends quickly sprang up about the residence, which came to be dubbed "the Witch's House." After several acts of vandalism, the yard was fenced in.

After Ms. Nohl's death in 2001, neighborhood residents who consider the site an eyesore tried to have it demolished. But in 2005, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The site is currently under the care of the Kohler foundation. The grounds are currently not open to the public but can be seen up close from the street.

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There is no place nearby to legally park on the street, and the neighbors are not welcoming of siteseers.

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Published

June 14, 2009

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Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Nohl_Art_Environment
  • http://www.agilitynut.com/h/nohl.html
  • http://www.interestingideas.com/roadside/wisc/nohl/nohl1.htm
  • http://www3.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=11655

Related Tags

Outsider Art Sculptures Houses Statues Intriguing Environs Eccentric Homes Ecosystems Homes
Mary Nohl House
7328 N. Beach Rd.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53217
United States
43.150293, -87.892211
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