Rocket Baby Bakery Design Wins Historic Accolades

The homeowner who turns an old, gray Victorian manse back into a bright, filigreed "painted lady."

The business owner who turns a tired, crumbling Cream City brick commercial building back into a tuck-pointed civic landmark.

These are the folks we have come to expect to win awards for historic restoration.

The Wauwatosa Historic Preservation Commission took a different tack Tuesday and presented its annual Preservation of Properties Award to Rocket Baby Bakery for turning a bland block building from 1958 into an eye-catching North Avenue storefront.

"This used to be a relatively mundane office building," said commission chairman Charles Mitchell. "Now, it's a bright and cheery traditional storefront that fits with the neighborhood."

"Not only that," Mitchell went on, "they make this wonderful bakery."

Mitchell pointed out that under the commission's guidelines, a building has only to be 50 or more years old to qualify for the award and does not have to have been considered architecturally significant in its original design.

Therefore, the award can, as in this case, reflect what has been done to improve an insignificant original design to the betterment of the community.

Besides a handsome placard to display in its window, Rocket Baby's husband-and-wife owners, Geoff and Shannon Trenholme, win a free membership in the Wauwatosa Historical Society – and the thanks of a hungry city.