Nestled in the tight-knit lakeside neighborhood of Bay View, Wisconsin sits the Beulah Brinton House. Beulah Brinton was revered for her commitment to the immigrant community of Milwaukee, helping new citizens however she could. Beulah most notably fulfilled a need for recreation and community in the developing neighborhood by opening her home as a lending library, and introducing her neighbors to tennis, which was only beginning growing in popularity at the time. Originally built in 1872, several renovations were made to the house over the years to the kitchen, bathroom, and remodeling the front porch following the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Only conservative, structurally necessary changes have occurred to the house since the Brinton family vacated and sold the property to the Bay View Historical Society in 2005.

A historical and cultural relic such as the Brinton House requires extreme attention to detail when conducting any necessary changes. That’s why Balestrieri was hired to abate the roof of the beloved historical property this summer. The Bay View Historical Society needed the roof replaced on the house, but the existing material was found to be made of transite, a formerly popular roofing material made from mixing cement and asbestos. Balestrieri swiftly and cleanly removed the transite, and additionally the cedar shake shingles underneath, so that the roofing contractor could immediately install new and safer materials. 

Now serving as the locale for the Bay View Historical Society, the Beulah Brinton House has many recognizable touchstones of 19th century construction. The structure features a simple gothic revival style with a pointed arch at the top of the house. The architectural trend of the time was that by designing medieval-looking buildings, it would instill a sense of faith and community.