Grant would fund study of 20th Century Milwaukee religious architecture

Today the Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee recommended approval of a resolution accepting a grant that would fund an intensive-level survey of 200 purpose-built houses of worship erected in Milwaukee from 1920- 1980.

The legislation – Council file #211666 – authorizes the City Clerk’s Office – Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) to accept and expend a $46,500 Certified Local Government grant received through the Wisconsin Historical Society. Pending approval by the full Common Council on March 1, the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) is set to oversee the project for the duration of the grant.

Alderman José G. Pérez, chair of the ZND Committee, said as Wisconsin’s largest city, boasting some of the state’s finest architects and architecture, Milwaukee is an ideal place for an in-depth, thematic study of architectural Modernism and 20th Century religion.

“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. The study will especially look at churches in neighborhoods mainly occupied by people of color that have largely been ignored,” he said. “This grant will allow us to do just that.”

The most recent effort to survey Milwaukee’s religious buildings was the 1996 report titled “City of Steeples,” and the Wisconsin Historical Society grant funds a new survey intended to expand on the “City of Steeples” report, and catalog Milwaukee’s Modern religious architecture, “with an eye toward documenting Milwaukee’s Black and non-Christian religious histories.”

According to the file, very little post-war architecture has been researched in the city or the state, particularly large, high-style buildings. By using houses of worship as a basis and covering previously neglected areas of the city, the HPC will engage in citywide outreach, focusing on 20th-century targets in every aldermanic district.

The grant will allow the HPC to initiate an outreach process in areas of the city and communities that have not traditionally interacted with the HPC, and expand public understanding of Milwaukee history and Modern architecture.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.