CJ Nicaumenee

Southern Lakeside - famous hotels and mansions
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The southern lakeside of Nicaumenee has been popular with rich elites since its beginning. Those who could afford it, moved away from the crowded streets of Downtown and Bridgend, and settled alongside Sheboygan Avenue right above the lake. Back in the early 20th century, the area was still rather calm - the trains could barely be heard, and the smoke from the small fishing boats at the fishing harbour could not put anyone's lungs at risk. During the last years of the Gilded Age, this kind of tranquility right outside of the town attracted some rich local entrepreneurs who bought property alongside Sheboygan Avenue, and consequently had their estates developed. The three most famous estates have been the Schulz Manor, established by famous brewer Carl Schulz (1848-1932), Château Lucier, named for Martin Lucier (1853-1937), an offspring of a French fur trader, and McGrath Manor, established by banker Joseph "Joe" McGrath (1861-1942). Château Lucier and McGrath Manor are still in private possession, while Schulz Manor - designed in Tudor-Revival style - was sold to the city in the 1980s by Schulz' descendants. It was subsequently transformed into a museum, as well as an event location with a focus on marriages. Due to its pomp and its turbulent history, the mansion has attracted millions of visitors over the years, and its appeal to the public has lead to the construction of themed hotels and restaurants nearby.

Let us start with the splendor alongside Sheboygan Avenue:

Above, you can see the McGrath Manor. Whilst most of the garden is kept in a rather nature-lookalike manner, the plants close to the mansion are kept in a rather French-Garden style.


Browning Mansion to the left, and Whitby Hotel to the right.


In between Schulz Manor and McGrath Manor, the city later built a small gateway to commemorate the fallen soldiers of the First World War.


Hotel Schulz to the left, and Deering Mansion to the right. This exclusive hotel was built in the early 1990s with a Tudor-styled façade. Its interieur reflects the life in a Tudor Revival mansion, fulfilling the people's desire to get a taste of what life in the Schulz Manor nearby could have been like.


Maple Forest Mansion to the left, and Blue Spire Mansion to the right. Both mansions were results of the popularity of so called Octagon houses.


Château Lucier in the foreground, and Stirling Mansion in the background. You can clearly see the French influence upon the Château's design.


In the foreground, you can spot the Sheraton Hotel at Nicaumenee. The hotel is well-known for its two themed restaurants, offering Austrian and British cuisine. The two restaurants were built in an ultra-light manner, and are located atop a parking lot.


Finally, we come to the Schulz Manor. Enjoy



Last but not least, some impressions of the environment. There are not only rich people populating the place