Property Record
301 W Michigan St
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Fourth Ward Square, Union Square Park, Pere Marquette |
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| Other Name: | Carl Frederick Zeidler-Union Square Park |
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| Reference Number: | 108640 |
| Location (Address): | 301 W Michigan St |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
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| Year Built: | 1835 |
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| Survey Date: | 1984201020192025 |
| Historic Use: | park |
| Architectural Style: | NA (unknown or not a building) |
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| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | 2010: This modest, one-block sized park contains sidewalks, picnic tables, a statue of former Milwaukee Mayor Carl Frederick Zeidler, as wall as a small, modern pavilion. Vegetation consists of grass, limited landscaping and mature trees. One of the oldest parts in Milwaukee, this small parcel was set aside as a park as part of the initial plat of Kilbourntown. A key purpose of this set-aside for a "public square" was to have land available for the initial location of the county courthouse, which ultimately was built in rival Juneautown at what is now Cathedral Square Park. Never formally developed outside of grass and a few trees, the park nevertheless provided for an attractive entrance to the Milwaukee Road Railroad Depot (no longer extant). The park was named after Milwaukee Mayor Carl Frederick Zeidler, who was elected mayor in 1940 and, in 1942, left his mayoral post to join the Merchant Marines. He was killed in the South Atlantic in December 1942. 2019 - Resurveyed (streetcar project). Appearance unchanged. Update photo. Resurveyed for Milwaukee Downtown Connector Arch/History Survey, SHPO#10-0983, Prepared by Heritage Research (2010). 2025; The footprint of Fourth Ward Square (also known as Zeidler Union Park Square or Pere Marquette Park) was first reserved for use as a green space in 1835. This modest, one-block sized park is symmetrically bisected by paved paths that meet at the centralized, modern gazebo – a public art installation sculpted by locals Terese Agnew and Mary Zebell in 1995. The landscape design is limited to grass and mature trees. Iron park benches with wooden seats line the outer pathways. The boundaries of the park are flanked by sidewalks, a bus lane, and three parking lanes. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Ralph Aderman, "Trading Post to Metropolis: Milwaukee County's first 150 Years." John Gurda, "The Making of Milwaukee." Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |