Charles Allis Museum Nonprofit Acquires Historic East Side Building

Charles Allis Art Museum. Photo by Dave Reid.

After a difficult year in 2025, the nonprofit Charles Allis Art Museum recently finalized the acquisition of its historic East Side home from Milwaukee County. The move marks a major turning point for an institution that is struggling to stay afloat just a year ago.

In late 2024, in a bid to save money on long-term maintenance costs, the County Board of Supervisors approved a deal to dispose of the museum, giving the small nonprofit already operating it an opportunity to take ownership of the building for a nominal $1, provided the organization hit fundraising benchmarks and demonstrated self-sufficiency.

The separation proved difficult for the organization, which had run both the Charles Allis and its sister museum, Villa Terrace, since 2012. When the split was finalized at the end of 2024, the Charles Allis lost event revenue from Villa Terrace, which was its primary source of income. The Villa Terrace began to operate as a standalone entity.

Funding from the county was also split in half, with 50% going to the former friends group that now runs Villa Terrace. As a result, nearly the entire Allis museum staff was laid off.

Under the deal, operational funding from the county will continue until 2028. But the nonprofit had to raise $100,000 by the end of 2025 or be cut from the county budget entirely.

Initially, the organization, led by executive director and board chair Marquayla Ellison, struggled to transition to a new business model and successfully fundraise. In July, Ellison was asked during a county board committee meeting what would happen if the county didn’t pay in 2025; she replied that the museum would likely close.

But by the end of the year, the nonprofit met the county’s requirements, allowing it to move forward with the acquisition of the building.

“We have completed three major steps in the evolution of this historic and iconic building into an independent community gathering place,” Ellison said in a statement Wednesday. “We’ve transitioned to a new governance model, secured ownership of the building, and are building a sustainable future grounded in community, creativity, and access.”

Owning the building will allow the museum to pursue new sources of preservation funding, including philanthropy and grants, the museum said in a statement Wednesday. The institution is planning to expand programming and partnerships and aims to attract more than 1,400 visitors in 2026.

The 18,000-square-foot museum was originally the private residence of Charles and Sarah Allis. Charles Allis was the first president of Allis-Chalmers, a former manufacturer of heavy equipment. The home was designed by Milwaukee architect Alexander C. Eschweiler and built in 1911. Sarah Allis died in 1945, bequeathing the home and their art collection to the city. The county took over ownership from the city in 1979.

As the county’s finances have become increasingly distressed, due to a disastrous pension deal two decades ago and stagnant state aid for nearly as long, policymakers are now cutting back spending on cultural institutions. In recent years, county officials have worked out deals with multiple county institutions, including the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts and the Milwaukee Art Museum, to transition away from providing taxpayer support.

The Charles Allis is now on a sustainable path toward independent operation, according to the museum. Staff recently finished a strategic plan, the museum said, and are working to build up fundraising capacity, generate more revenue and “define a clear institutional identity.”

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