Locksmith in Greendale, WI

A locksmith in Greendale who knows the village

A locksmith in Greendale works in one of the most unusual places in the Milwaukee area: a whole village planned and built by the federal government. We are a mobile locksmith, so we come to the house, the shop, or the parking lot. A lockout usually takes a few minutes once we arrive, and a rekey, a lock repair, or a car key takes 15 to 60 minutes. Greendale is about 8 miles southwest of downtown Milwaukee.

A greenbelt town from 1938

During the Great Depression, the federal government built three "greenbelt towns," planned suburbs surrounded by open land: Greenbelt in Maryland, Greenhills in Ohio, and Greendale here. Milwaukee was chosen for its steady industry and inexpensive land at the edge of the city. Greendale opened in 1938 with 572 homes, and the village incorporated on November 1, 1938. In 1949 the government offered residents the chance to buy their houses.

The historic core is now the Greendale Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 and named a National Historic Landmark in 2012. Many of the first houses, which residents call "Greendale Originals," still stand around the village center.

Locks on Greendale Originals

The Originals were built of concrete block and a concrete mix called cincrete, finished to look like traditional houses. Their walls are solid, but doors and locks have been changed many times over almost ninety years, and it is not unusual to find a different brand of lock on every door of one house. Owners who care about the look of the house usually want to keep the original style, and we can often do that.

A rekey changes the inside of the lock, so the hardware on the door stays exactly as it is and only the keys change. A first lock rekey starts at $59 (rekeying). When a lock sticks, drags, or will not latch, we repair it before replacing anything, because an old lock in good shape is worth keeping. Lock repair starts at $79 (lock repair). If a lock is past repair, we fit a new one that suits the door, and we can add a deadbolt to a door that does not have one (deadbolt installation).

Newer Greendale homes

Outside the historic core, much of Greendale was built after the government sold its land, with newer streets of houses around the original village. Those homes come with the usual set of doors: front, back, and the door from the attached garage. We key them all to one new key so you carry a single key for the whole house.

Southridge Mall

Southridge Mall opened in 1970 along the village's northern edge on 76th Street, and it is still one of the largest malls in Wisconsin. Most calls from its parking lots are about cars: keys locked inside, keys lost in a store, or a key fob that stopped working in the cold. A dead fob often needs only a new battery or programming, not a new key. Key fob programming starts at $119, and a car lockout starts at $69 (key fobs).

The village center

Greendale's village center, at the heart of the historic district, has more than a dozen independent shops and places to eat. Small businesses here need the same things as anywhere: a rekey when an employee leaves, a lock that works on the back door, and a door closer that keeps the door from slamming in the wind. A business lockout starts at $89, and a commercial rekey starts at $79 (business rekey and lock change).

Parks and the Root River Parkway

Greendale still has a lot of green space along the county's Root River Parkway, and historic Trimborn Farm, also on the National Register, sits within the village. Visitors who park for a walk and lock the keys in the car can call us from the lot. Tell us where you parked, and we open the car.

Next to Greendale

Greendale borders Greenfield to the north, Hales Corners to the west, and Franklin to the south. We cover all three at the same prices.