3550 S 51ST ST

3550 S 51ST ST

Milwaukee

Greenfield

1951

1956

2013

school – elem/middle/jr high/high

Contemporary

Brick

Francis S. Gurda

Y

No

A 'site file' 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, Division of Historic Preservation-Public History. Upper bands of windows on each floor were originally comprised of glass block but were replaced in 2003 with more energy efficient examples.

2013- "Oriented to S. 51st Street, this two-story, educational facility is sheathed with brick and is comprised of two periods of construction, the first in 1951, and an addition completed to the south in 1955-56. The building’s original primary entrance is located just left (north) of center of the entire west elevation. The double-door entry is framed by brick pilasters and topped with a modest parapet with stone coping. A central stone inset reads ‘Glenwood School,” in lettering with a modest Art Deco influence. A second entrance, without the school name, is found along the west elevation, while two additional entrances—one to the north and another at the rear (east)—do include the stone name inset over the doorway. Windows throughout the structure are arranged in rectangular blocks separated by a narrow band of brickwork. Modest patterned brickwork runs along the top of the second-floor windows, resulting in a continuous lintel. All windows feature stone sills. Historic drawings indicate (and the district’s buildings and grounds supervisor confirms) that the school’s windows previously featured glass block. Aside from the window replacement, there are no immediately apparent alterations to the building.

The original block of Glenwood School (District No. 8 School) was constructed in 1951, with a later addition made to the south just five years later. Both wings were designed by Milwaukee architect Francis S. Gurda. The educational history of Greenfield Township began in 1839, with the land of the first one-room donated by John Cooper, the school of which was known as Cooper School. The first school within what was to eventually be identified as District No. 8 School was the one-room school (which houses all eight grades) first known as Center House School and later as Strothmann School (with William Strothmann being the donor of the land for said school). It was not until 1901 that a new school was constructed in the area (district); that being Maple Grove School, which was later added on to. Prior to 1957, students wishing to attend high school went to one in either Milwaukee or West Milwaukee. Tuition to those schools was paid by the Town of Greenfield. Following the incorporation of Greenfield in 1957, a high school was built and opened the following year and, as of 1958, the subject school has operated under the City of Greenfield and its associated school board."
- "W Morgan Ave, W Forest Home Ave to S 43rd St", WisDOT ID #2405-00-04", Prepared by Heritage Research, Ltd (Schnell) (2013).

Building committee records for subject school also in possession of the Greenfield School District. County Superintendent of Schools records available at the Milwaukee County Historical Society. Those records, however, do not include anything specific to Glenwood. Esther L. Fisher, A Brief History of Greenfield, 1841-1976, 87, 91-92, 97; Francis S. Gurda, “District School No. 8,” Original (and successive) plans, 1946 to 1949; Francis S. Gurda, “Proposed Addition, Glenwood School,” 1953, All plans in possession of the Greenfield School District (Administrative Offices), Greenfield, WI. Newspaper citation found following the completion of the DOE: "Town District Okays School," The Milwaukee Journal, 20 December 1949--article, rendering of school and caption that cites Gurda as the architect and an estimated cost of $450,000.

Not Listed