[12] His daughter, Elizabeth, was engaged to marry American sculptor Richard Henry Park,[4] and he built the house to give to her as a wedding gift.

[4][14] Distraught, Elizabeth completely lost interest in the mansion, rejecting her wedding gift[9] and never living in the residence which bore her name; instead, she travelled the world.

[15] However, local opinions included that it was an "eyesore," an "ugly behemoth," and a "monument to Victorian bad taste,"[16] and it was entirely surrounded by university buildings by 1980.

"[16] The university demolished it in October 1980 to make room for student facilities;[8] this occurred approximately two months after the HABS survey report has been issued,[17] and despite the House having been listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

[20] She continued the tradition of philanthropy and historical records show that Miss Plankinton gave many gifts to the citizens of Milwaukee for their benefit.

[4][22][23] One of her public gifts was a $100,000 donation (equivalent to $3 million in 2023)[10] in 1892[24][25] that ultimately built in 1899 the first YWCA hotel of the city (pictured) for affordable housing for working women.

[27][29][30] Plankinton's most notable gift was a George Washington bronze statue for the city of Milwaukee, first announced in January 1885.

[31] Sculpted by 47 year old Park and dedicated in November 1885,[23][32] it was the first piece of public art in Milwaukee,[33] and cost around $20,000[34] (equivalent to $582,000 in 2023).

At a time when immigrants were coming in large numbers to live in Milwaukee, their inclusion is intended to portray a mother showing her child the father of the United States[33] as a message on the importance of history or education.

[33][36][37] Some time before World War I, Plankinton built a large home in Dresden, Germany, where she spent several months of the year.