When Captain Frederick and Maria Pabst began construction of their new family mansion in June 1890, they could not have anticipated that it would survive and thrive into the twenty-first century as a testament to America's Gilded Age. Designed by George Bowman Ferry and Alfred Charles Clas, construction lasted for two years and was completed in July of 1892 at a cost of just over $254,000 - including the house, furnishings and artwork. As leading figures in Milwaukee society, both Captain and Mrs. Pabst became consummate art collectors, filling their mansion with priceless treasures. During the years of the Pabst family's ownership, the house was the scene of many fine parties and receptions, a wedding and, in the end, Captain and Mrs. Pabst's funeral.