History

Villa Terrace was built in 1924 for the Lloyd R. Smith (1883-1944) family. After returning from a trip to Italy, the Smiths commissioned architect David Adler

David Adler

David Adler was a prolific architect, designing over 200 buildings...

 to design their new home. The architecture and water stairs were inspired by Villa Cicogna Mozzoni

Villa Cicogna Mozzoni

The Villa Cicogna Mozzoni is a patrician residence in Bisuschio, near Varese, northern Italy. It is an example of Italian Lombard Renaissance architecture....

 (built in the 1560s) in Lombardy

Lombardy

Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...

, Italy.

The ironwork in the home is from the Milwaukee studio of Cyril Colnik, an Austrian-born blacksmith. Rose Standish Nichols was a landscape designer who is credited with the original Villa Terrace planting design. No record of her plan for the Smith residence has been found.

Villa Terrace's art collection features fine and decorative arts dating from the 15th through the 19th centuries, wrought iron

Wrought iron

thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...

 masterpieces by Cyril Colnik and changing exhibitions highlighting the decorative arts. It is also the host of a Garden Lecture series, in which attendees are able to learn more about planning and maintenance for their home gardens.

Lloyd died in 1944. In 1966, the Smith family donated their home to Milwaukee County to serve as a Decorative Arts Museum. In 1976, a formal planting of sugar maple bosques with privet hedges and white gravel was installed. During the 1990s, The Parks Department suffered severe budget cuts, which resulted in reduced maintenance and decline.

Renaissance Garden

In 1997, The Friends of Villa Terrace Board committed themselves to restore the gardens at Villa Terrace. Based on the master plan created by Buettner & Associates, volunteers with the Renaissance Garden Club began two years of site clearing in the spring of 1998. Construction of the gardens began in 2000 and continued for two more years. After four years of work, the gardens officially opened to the public in July 2002.

Weddings

Villa Terrace is a popular site for weddings in Milwaukee. For brides in Milwaukee's changing climate, the views offer something that would otherwise only be attainable by travelling to Europe. Its Italian Villa structure, picturesque garden, unique stairways and breath-taking views of Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...

 provide Wisconsin brides with scenery they would otherwise not be able to use.

The Villa Terrace, along with the Charles Allis Art Museum

Charles Allis Art Museum

The Charles Allis Art Museum is a museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is part of the National Register of Historic Places, as the Charles Allis House.-Allis Mansion history:...

, is part of the Milwaukee County War Memorial Corporation.