Edgecliffe Manor

(Liȇderhaus)

Here is the results of research that I’ve done on our home. Plesae visit us!

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https://basicstudyguides.com/edgecliffe-manor/

https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/record/property/HI76902/

https://fireflyrealestate.net/property/1665-mountain-ave-wauwatosa/

Ancient tribes and early settlers of Wisconsin often gathered near this place, where the land rose and formed a natural amphitheater above Wauwatosa. Known in earlier times as the “gathering place at the edge of the cliff,” that spirit of community and celebration lives on today at Edgecliffe.

It was also here that Frederick Pabst established a working hops farm and raised the powerful Percheron horses that became the pride of the Pabst estate. The immigrants who lived and worked near the stables of the wealthy brewery magnate carried on a spirited culture of music, storytelling, and fellowship. Though people of modest means, they encouraged newcomers to ‘stick around’ and join in the camaraderie of song. Guests were humbled by the warmth they encountered and often felt unworthy of such hospitality.

Over time, the area became a crossroads of cultures and shared experiences. Immigrants found work, gathered in celebration, and built new lives together. Here, the paths of two immigrant families would become embedded within the foundations of Edgecliffe.

The first was Gaespare Ciancimino, who came from Sicily and found work playing barn dances near the Percheron stables before eventually establishing himself and his family farther west in Waukesha. The other was Jacob Fischer, a plasterer by trade, who arrived in Milwaukee as a poor immigrant supporting a large family. After the Pabst farm was sold during the Great War, he found work helping build homes in and around the Washington Highlands.

Over time, the lived traditions of these two family patriarchs — structure and song — became quietly woven into the identity of Edgecliffe. The initials F and C were later joined in the form of an E, symbolically uniting both traditions within the spirit of the home.

The first resident of Edgecliffe in 1928, Raymond T. Zillmer, was an influential attorney, mountaineer, and conservationist associated with the preservation of the Kettle Moraine Forest. Under his care, the house continued its tradition as a gathering place for fellowship and song. In time, the house came to be known as the Liȇderhaus, or House of Songs.

The traditions of Edgecliffe embody two guiding ideals: Moderatio and Canto. Moderatio reflects stewardship, conservation, humility, and the belief that strength is best guided by moderation. Canto, meaning song or chant, reflects the spirit of music, fellowship, celebration, and the joyful gathering of friends and family. Together, they represent the enduring spirit of Edgecliffe: structure tempered by grace, and song elevated by purpose.

Note: Items in italics cannot be independently verified, but are correct in spirit.