Elizabeth Plankinton

Elizabeth Ann She was a daughter of John Plankinton and Elizabeth Brasker (some records show Bracken or Brucken). and her sister, Hannah, in 1851; Hannah died of a heart condition in 1870 when Plankinton was seventeen.

Elizabeth Plankinton House

The Elizabeth Plankinton House was a three-bedroom mansion in the upscale Milwaukee neighborhood of west Grand Ave that was built by businessman and millionaire John Plankinton and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places. and was located across the street from his own palatial residence. His daughter, Elizabeth, was engaged to marry American sculptor Richard Henry Park, Park abandoned Elizabeth and married a dancer from Minneapolis instead. Distraught, Elizabeth completely lost interest in the mansion, rejecting her wedding gift and never living in the residence which bore her name; instead, she travelled the world.

The house provoked strong feelings at that time, with local historian H. Russell Zimmermann arguing for its preservation on historic grounds, The university demolished it in October 1980 to make room for student facilities; and despite the House having been listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Its destruction was a significant factor in the 1981 formation of the City of Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission, an appointed city commission created with the aim of protecting Milwaukee's architectural heritage.

Philanthropy Plankinton followed in her father's footsteps as a humanitarian and was affectionately called "Miss Lizzie" by the citizens of Milwaukee. She continued the tradition of philanthropy and historical records show that Miss Plankinton gave many gifts to the citizens of Milwaukee for their benefit. Out of respect, she was referred to as the "municipal patroness" because of her spirit of giving. One of her public gifts was a $100,000 donation (equivalent to $ million in ) in 1892 that ultimately built in 1899 the first YWCA hotel of the city (pictured) for affordable housing for working women. She also purchased a $10,000 pipe organ (equivalent to $ million in ) for the then-new half million dollar 1909 Milwaukee Auditorium. Sculpted by 47 year old Park and dedicated in November 1885,

Inscriptions on the sculpture include: on the lower left side, "RH PARK SC," acknowledging the sculptor (who was Plankinton's then-fiancé); on back of the base, "The Gift of / Elizabeth A. Plankinton / To the City of Milwaukee / 1885"; and, on the front of the base, simply "WASHINGTON". At the foot of statue are two bronze figures, a mother and a child, which were included following a specific request from Plankinton. At a time when immigrants were coming in large numbers to live in Milwaukee, their inclusion is intended to portray a mother showing her child the father of the United States

Later life Some time before World War I, Plankinton built a large home in Dresden, Germany, where she spent several months of the year. She was trapped there when the war broke out, and the government impounded her property in the United States. She visited Milwaukee after the war, but was in Europe as her health deteriorated, and she died in Lucerne in Switzerland in 1923. She was buried in the Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee, with her mother, father, step mother, brother, and sister, In her will, she left considerable bequests to the people of Milwaukee, including $50,000 (equivalent to $ million in ) each to the YWCA, the Milwaukee Hospital, and the Milwaukee-Downer College, to whom she had already endowed $65,000 shortly before her death. to whom Plankinton bequeathed $25,000 in her will.

Plankinton's share of her father's estate was held in trust for her children, and as she never had a child, her share went to her nephew, William Woods Plankinton.