Built in 1923, Riverbend exudes artistic craftsmanship and attention to detail that many claim could simply not be duplicated today.

Walter J. Kohler, then Governor of Wisconsin, commissioned architect Richard Philipp, of the Milwaukee firm of Brust & Philipp, and the world-renowned Olmsted Brothers, well-known for creating Central Park in New York City and the Harvard and Stanford campuses, to design his estate.

The grounds were landscaped in the English tradition to accentuate the natural beauty of the site that captivated Walter and his wife Charlotte.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Riverbend was a special gathering place for social occasions. Walter and Charlotte regaled their guests on a grand scale. The house was later acquired from Walter’s descendents by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Kohler Co. purchased Riverbend in 1985 from the Trust. The home was expanded in 2001 and opened as an exclusive private membership club.