Property Record
901 W MINERAL ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | |
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| Other Name: | Walker Square |
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| Reference Number: | 103258 |
| Location (Address): | 901 W MINERAL ST |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
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| Year Built: | 1837 |
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| Additions: | 1941 |
| Survey Date: | 198519732022 |
| Historic Use: | recreational building/gymnasium |
| Architectural Style: | Colonial Revival/Georgian Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Cut Stone |
| Architect: | Gilbert C. Grunwald |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | 1973: "This small city park occupies just one square block. It is one of Milwaukee's oldest parks, donated in 1837 by George H. Walker. A plaque located in the northeast corner of the park reads as follows: "Walker Square, donated in 1837 by Colonel George H. Walker early pioneer and founder of the south section of the city of Milwaukee". Alterations and Additions (as of 1973): A small park pavilion has been added along with modern play facilities." 2022: Walker’s Square Park is a two-acre park occupying the city block bounded by W. Mineral, S. 9th, W. Washington, and S. 10th Streets. Diagonal paths transect the park from the northwest to southeast and northeast to southwest corners. The northeast path has since been removed and replaced by a modern playground that was constructed in the northeast quadrant of the park in 2012. The one-story recreation pavilion (245605) was constructed in Walker’s Square in 1941 according to the designs of Milwaukee County architect Gilbert C. Grunwald (Vollmert et al. 1987). HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Walker’s Square Park was designated as a public square by George Walker in 1837 (Vollmert et al. 1987). It is one of the few early public squares set aside for public use by Milwaukee’s pioneer land speculators and founders. In 1837, George Walker designated the city block bounded by W. Mineral, S. 9th, W. Washington, and S. 10th Streets for public use. The park remained a heavily wooded, unimproved space until the late 1880s when the City of Milwaukee implemented a series of projects to improve the public space including a “fountain stood in a large pool that was originally lined with rocks and its highly ornamented octagonal base supported four storks from whose mouths streamed water” and “beds of flowers, graveled walks, gas lamps, and colored oil lamps (Vollmert et al. 1987: 406). Local architect, Alfred C. Clas, also designed a recreation building for the park in 1913. Both the fountain and the Clas-designed building were removed in the late 1930s. The extant recreation pavilion was constructed in 1941 according to the designs of Milwaukee County architect Gilbert C. Grunwald. |
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| Bibliographic References: | History of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Chicago, 1881, 133, 431. Pagel, Mary Ellen and Palmer, Virginia A., Guides to Historic Milwaukee: Walker's Point and South, Milwaukee, 1969, 12-13. Vollmert, Les, Carlen Hatala, and Robin Wenger. South Side Neighborhood Historic Resources Survey. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: City of Milwaukee Department of City Development, 1987. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |