Dedicated to Dawn Manor’s most eccentric former owners
The Raab Room honors the Raab family, who owned Dawn Manor for nearly 70 years. Inspired by George Raab’s artwork and Helen Raab’s eye for restoration and the arts, the space reflects their eclectic style and creative legacy.
George Raab was born in 1864 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Helen Hammond Ware Raab (pictured) was born in 1889 in Nuckolls County, Nebraska. In 1912, Helen and George Raab were married.
Helen was an eccentric world traveler and a lover of the arts. She was very involved and influential in the art world. She started the Milwaukee Open Forum lecture series in 1919 which brought in many famous people. Her love of the arts led to her developing friendships with Frank Lloyd Wright and Agnes Moorehead.
George Raab was a painter and also taught art at Milliken University and managed some prominent galleries in Milwaukee.
After 12 years of marriage, Helen and George got divorced in 1924. George still remained a part of Helen’s life until his death in 1943 at age 79, as he had legally adopted Helen’s son from her first marriage, Kirby.
The last family to live full-time in Dawn Manor, the Raab family owned the manor over several generations from the 1940s until Uphoff Resorts purchased it in 2018.
In 1929, Helen began purchasing land in the Lower Dells area. She began acquiring portions of Dawn Manor from the Lake Delton Holding Company in 1946 and completed the acquisition of Dawn Manor in 1953. Helen always maintained her love for the arts – several paintings by George hung in Dawn Manor and she hosted tea at the manor every Saturday with interesting and influential people from the area. Helen was the owner of Dawn Manor until her death in 1970. The manor was then passed down to her son, Kirby, and it stayed with the Raab family for about fifty more years.
Helen Raab’s legacy at Dawn Manor can still be seen at the manor today. The Frank Lloyd Wright room is inspired by her friendship with the famous architect. Her research into the manor’s ties to Abraham Lincoln led to her creation of the original Lincoln Room. Her display and preservation of her husband’s art helped inspire the Raab Room itself.
Welcome to dinner with the Raabs!
This beautiful space underneath the original stained-glass skylight from the old mansion shows a number of stunning images of the most recent lady of the house, Helen. The serene image of her over the staircase warmly welcomes you to the table and at the same time graciously thanks you for dining.
The flowing portrait with the extravagant black hat is particularly fitting, as Helen was famous for her international hat collection. She brought them home as elegant souvenirs frequently from her many many travels across the globe.
Helen in the yellow gown, gazing across the room at the handsome self portrait of her second husband and Wisconsin artist George Raab, is both beautifully stately and mesmerizing.
This room shows us the rich and varied artistic styles of George, the creator of all these artworks before you, including his fascinating reproduction of a painting by Diego Velazquez, “The Infant Margarita Therese”. He imaginatively produced not only portraits, such as the Velazquez copy and that of his adopted son Kirby with the sword and sash, but also landscapes, still life, sketch work, Impressionist works influenced by Camille Pissarro, and Fauvist works influenced by Henri Matisse. Downstairs in the Speakeasy are examples of Raab’s cast metal reliefs which he often made to honor siginificant members of Milwaukee society. One other curated wall display pays homage to George Raab as a museum director and Professor of Art. Helen was George’s favorite model and subject.
Finally, two of the most valued and one of a kind pieces from the mansion, and now displayed in shadow boxes here, are George Raab’s art study guide and sketchbook, and the classical sextant from the last remaining vessel of the Raab family Great Lakes shipping company, an heirloom that Helen held onto and described as her most valued possession.
