City To Conduct Historic Survey Of Modern Churches

A new study will attempt to catalog the history of Milwaukee’s newer religious structures.

The full-time staff of the Historic Preservation Commission is receiving a $46,500 grant from the Wisconsin Historical Society, entitled “Modern Houses of Worship: Not Necessarily Steeples,” that would fund a citywide study of churches built between 1920 and 1980.

“This survey is intended to comprehensively catalog Milwaukee’s Modern religious architecture, with an eye towards documenting Milwaukee’s Black and non-Christian religious histories,” says a grant analysis report.

The survey, to be conducted by a consultant, is anticipated to include 200 structures spread across the entire city. An earlier study, conducted 26 years ago, focused on only the oldest churches in the city.

“Milwaukee has a wealth of richly diverse and architecturally significant houses of worship built before and after World War II that deserve deeper study and documentation for today and for our future generations,” said Alderman Jose G. Perez in a statement. “The study will especially look at churches in neighborhoods mainly occupied by people of color that have largely been ignored. This grant will allow us to do just that.”

The buildings studied would not become immediately historically protected, but the research is intended to document the city’s history and help build a public understanding of modern architecture and the history of often underreported communities.

In a surprise twist, the grant application has a connection to Urban Milwaukee. “This was partly inspired by Michael Horne discovering a study of ours from 1996 on churches in the city,” said Historic Preservation Commission staffer Tim Askin in presenting the grant application to the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee on Tuesday.

A copy of City of Steeples report from 1996 can be found on the city website.

Horne, who has written hundreds of history-laden pieces for Urban Milwaukee, has taken a special interest in churches in recent years with his involvement in The Bells of Milwaukee nonprofit program.

The newest buildings studied in the City of Steeples report were of the Art Deco style, which faded from use by the start of World War II.

The Milwaukee Preservation Alliance is endorsing the study and said it could support the preservation of the structures, particularly by making it easier to access historic preservation tax credits. “In the end, a fuller, richer understanding of our City’s history and a more vibrant future for the community will result,” said executive director Jeremy Ebersole in a statement.

The committee unanimously endorsed the grant’s acceptance. The full council will review the proposal on March 1.