Property Record
MENOMONEE RIVER PARKWAY FROM HARMONEE AVENUE TO CONGRESS STREET
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | UPPER MENOMONEE RIVER PARKWAY |
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| Other Name: | |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 160841 |
| Location (Address): | MENOMONEE RIVER PARKWAY FROM HARMONEE AVENUE TO CONGRESS STREET |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Wauwatosa |
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| Year Built: | 1926 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 201120062016 |
| Historic Use: | park |
| Architectural Style: | NA (unknown or not a building) |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| National Register Listing Date: | |
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| Additional Information: | A 'site file' titled "Menomonee River Parkway" exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. 2011- Resurveyed; appearance unchanged. 2006- Approximately 5.1 miles long, runs between Congress Street and Harmonee Avenue. The Parkway is part of an oval-shaped chain of parkways that loop around Milwaukee County; the Menomonee River Parkway includes 19 resources: 9 contributing and 10 noncontributing. Six building are located within the Parkway as well as a swimming pool, 12 vehicular bridges, a culvert, a pedestrian bridge, and the road itself. Important landscape features include the Menomonee River, park space, lagoons, springs, and retaining walls. Major intersecting roads are STH 100/Mayfair Road, Burleigh Street, North Avenue, and Swan Boulevard. Currie and Hoyt Parks are located along the Parkway. The east side of the Parkway is lined by residential homes while the west side is adjacent to the Menomonee River. Resurveyed April 2010; appearance unchanged. The first plans for a series of Milwaukee County parkways was developed in 1923, illustrating a number of curvilinear drives along the waterways of Wauwatosa. Portions of the eventual Upper Menomonee River Parkway were purchased in 1926, with additional property added through the 1930s. In 1935, the county began constructing the parkway and drive with Civilian Conservation Corp laborers conducting most of the work including moving the river channel, excavating lagoons, street grading, masonry work, construction of concrete bridges, and the construction of a small comfort station building. In the 1950s more bridges were added to the Upper Menomonee River Parkway. The Upper Menomonee River Parkway covers 555 acres from Harmonee Avenue to Congress Street. The Upper Menominee River Parkway, which includes Currie Park and Golf Course and Hoyt Park, has a drive that follows the river closely in a curvilinear path meant as a pleasure drive. The parkway includes many small-scale elements including retaining walls, bridge piers, bollards, bridges, lighting, and signage. The largest of these are the WPA built retaining walls constructed along the parkway. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Mead and Hunt. Volume 1: Milwaukee County Parkway Inventory Report. Milwaukee County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Culture, 2012. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |