The Historic White House Tavern in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood has been sold and will close Dec. 31 for renovations.
Built in 1890, the bar, located at the corner of Kinnickinnic Avenue and Ellen Street at 2900 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., has been a mainstay in the neighborhood despite Bay View’s changing demographics and landscape.
“The new owners or their agents will likely make a statement soon, but we do know that they intend to keep the integrity of the main building, while adding a number of improvements and add-ons to bring about a new experience,” current manager Matt Langoehr posted on Facebook.
Langoehr said the new owner is asking not to be identified, but plans to make improvements to the building and then lease it to a new operator.
“We will update with any news we have soon but, again, our final day of operation for the near future will be Dec 31, 2017,” Langoehr said. “Come on down and visit The Grand Old lady of KK before the end of the year!”
Sean Raffaelli has owned the bar since 2006. The two-story 3,666-square-foot White House building includes the first-floor tavern and a three-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment on the second floor.
The White House was listed for sale in June for $499,900. The property is assessed by the city of Milwaukee for $441,000.
