Built in 1892, this Queen Anne Victorian home was designed by James Douglas, a well respected architect in Milwaukee, who also designed the Austin/Day Mansion at 8000 West Milwaukee Avenue in Wauwatosa. The builder was N. Nuschwender.
The home was originally built for Mrs. D. A. Brown. Her daughter, Emily Brown, married Charles Hawley III. Emily died at home giving birth to her third child. Her husband was so distraught that he moved to the south and died of exposure. Brown Street and Hawley Road were named after these two prominent Milwaukee families.
In 1996 the house was condemned and a raze order was issued by the City of Milwaukee. Since then it has undergone an extensive remodeling and has been preserved for future generations by its current owner.