If you’ve ever driven down 43rd and Howard, there’s no way you’ve missed it — the bright purple house that stands out like a neon memory on an otherwise quiet Milwaukee block.
But behind that bold paint job is a story that’s just as colorful as the home itself.
While many cherished the Purple House as a neighborhood icon, others viewed it as an eyesore.
Florian Meler complied with a notice from the city of Milwaukee directing him to paint his recently acquired house. “He was annoyed. Justin, Meler’s son, recalls, “He didn’t like people butting into his business.” Thus, he applied his preferred hue on it. “Every time he got a letter, he painted another flower on the house,” says Meler.
After receiving a bill from the municipal for having long grass, Florian Meler removed his lawn and replaced it with wood chips and gardens. He had lots of fresh chips because he worked as a city arborist.
The city decided that the six-foot fence the elder Meler had built around the property was too tall for a front yard, so he shortened it, painted it purple, and suspended toilet seats from it with pictures of his least favorite aldermen in the center.
Florian Meler passed away in 2007 at the age of 63.
This is after it was torn down
This is the house purple house now, it still has a little purple trim.
