Have you ever wondered what the basement of our building looks like? Are there hidden passages lining the brick walls? Did past remodeling hide safes filled with treasures that nobody knows about? Well, Doors Open Milwaukee may help you find the answers to these questions and more.

Laughlin Constable will be taking part in Doors Open Milwaukee, an event where over 100 different buildings in the Milwaukee area will be opening their doors and allowing eager spectators to weave their way around each building’s respective histories.

LC’s building, The Mitchell Building, is 135 years old and part of the National Register of Historic Places, an organization that assists in helping find funds to maintain historic buildings. Visitors to our building will experience a tour of the basement, the lobby, our first floor, and the Mansard roof and dome.

Here’s a brief outline of what you can expect.

The Basement
Visitors will walk through a maze of tight passageways and observe some of the original wood pilings that support the building and see how they are being updated to support the building for years to come. They will also witness the empty spaces under the walkways that surround the building and see some of the original stonework from the windows that existed before the streets had been raised.

Lobby and First Floor
The tour will also show off the lobby and our first floor workspace. Guests will have the opportunity to see the decorative safes, arched windows, tall ceilings and the cream bricks that line our walls. You’ll also get to see some of the work we do for our clients.

Mansard Roof and Dome
The final spot of the tour is the dome, which was once home to a weather observer who would signal weather information to ships on Lake Michigan using a flagpole that protruded upward out of the building. There, visitors will be able to look out the old windows and see the lake and downtown Milwaukee.

Now, I doubt secret passages would go unfound for this long, and buried treasure is fun to think about but probably unrealistic. But even so, this is only a sneak peek at what you can expect to see by attending Doors Open Milwaukee.

LC’s doors will be open on Sept. 24 and Sept. 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Free tickets and a detailed list of other locations and times can be found at http://www.doorsopenmilwaukee.org.