‘Gingerbread Land’ Street To Honor Sister Clara

A one-block stretch of N. 1st St. between W. Center St. and W. Clarke St. will soon display an honorary street name recognizing the late Clara Atwater. But many Milwaukeeans might know it better for its brightly colored houses.

Atwater, better known as Sister Clara, Pastor Clara or Mother Clara, founded Love Tabernacle Church at 2640 N. 1st St. more than 50 years ago.

“Around the 80s, early 90s, it was a bad block, probably among the worst in the neighborhood,” said Atwater’s grandson Touissaint Harris to members of the Public Works Committee on March 9.

But Sister Clara had an idea. “She had a vision to adopt homes,” said Harris. It became known as Gingerbread Land, a series of homes where Atwater housed and supported at-risk youth and adults.

“She just had a vision to instill love,” said Harris, who now serves as executive director of the church and the nonprofit Gingerbread Land Inc. He once needed to live in one of the houses himself. “She trained me to be where we are at now, ” he said.

Atwater passed away in August 2021 at the age of 86, and Harris then applied for the honorary street name.

“I am inclined to admit that I was raised in a very dysfunctional household. In fact, I was on a path to destruction like so many of the hundreds of gang members, drug addicts, drug dealers, homeless individuals, abused women and children (the list goes on) that Sister Clara ministered to,” wrote Harris in his application.

Harris still lives on the block, in one of the eight properties that city assessment records are owned by the church, the nonprofit or the executive director.

The house in the middle of the block, 2633 N. 1st St., has the boldest colors and signage calls it “The Gingerbread House.” At the church across the street, a former masonic temple, a sign displays Love Tabernacle’s vision of some day turning the church into a community center.

A garden and orchard was created in 1992 at the north end of the block on city-owned vacant lots.

A blue sign will soon be placed atop the green N. 1st St. signs at each end of the block, noting the street as “Honorary Sister Clara.” It will be one of some two dozen honorary street names in the city.

The Sister Clara designation was “enthusiastically” supported by area Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs. The full Common Council unanimously approved the idea on Tuesday.

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Related Legislation: File 210879