Clifton Tap
Milwaukee
Summary
Clifton Tap was one of Milwaukee's earliest known gay bars, operating as the tavern of the Clifton House Hotel at 336 W. Juneau Street through the 1940s and 1950s until about 1965. Run by William Mansfield, it consisted of a small front barroom and a back lounge that could be closed off for privacy. In an era before published gay guides, the bar was known mainly by word of mouth and did not advertise.
The aging hotel suffered fires and code violations before the Clifton House was demolished around 1965; the site has remained vacant since.