Property Record
2708 W WISCONSIN AVE
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Grand Avenue Elementary School |
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| Other Name: | Wisconsin Avenue Grade School |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 42021 |
| Location (Address): | 2708 W WISCONSIN AVE |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
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| Year Built: | 1921 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1979201419832004 |
| Historic Use: | school – elem/middle/jr high/high |
| Architectural Style: | English Revival Styles |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | VAN RYN AND DEGELLEKE |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Grand Avenue Elementary School |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 3/23/2018 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 12/1/2017 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | 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, State Historic Preservation Office. Wisconsin Avenue School is an excellent example of early 20th century period public schools. Its basic utilitarian form is embellished with English Tudor elements. No main building permit. 2015- "The Grand Avenue School is located at 2708 W. Wisconsin Avenue. It is situated near the center of the southern half of a city block between N. 27th and N. 28th Streets. At its south and east sides it is bounded by metal fence with a series of modern brick bollards that is similar to the original 1920 fence. The playground at the rear is surrounded by a modern chain-link fence and features different children's games painted onto the asphalt surface. Mature trees and shrubs are located along the main facade of the building. The Collegiate Gothic school was completed in 1920 and designed by MPS architects Henry Van Ryn and Gerrit de Gelleke. The school is a large, rectangular, three-story building clad in brown brick with limestone accents. The roof is flat with a castellated brick parapet with limestone coping. Decorative limestone panels, featuring a ribbon of four stylized "Xs," are located in regular intervals below the parapet along the main (south) facade and side (west and east) elevations. Running below is a limestone beltcourse featuring carved heads placed at regular intervals. Distinct, decorative brickwork, called "brick panels" on the original plans, are located on the east and west sides of the facade. These panels feature a patterned arrangement of glazed blue headers and brown and red footers. On the east (right) wing is metal lettering that reads "Wisconsin Avenue School." At the center of the main (south) facade is a one story, projecting wing that houses the kindergarten classroom. It has a flat roof with a parapet and carved limestone finials. The front (south) elevation of the projection also has decorative carved coping along the roofline. Side elevations have carved limestone panels above the windows. Windows on the front facade are ribbons of five, one-over-one, double-hung replacements. Flanking the windows are brick bollards with carved limestone volutes on top. Spread irregularly across the center of the facade are brick pilasters, topped with limestone finials, and have an inset of yellow and blue diamond tiles. The facade also features two prominent two-story projecting entrance towers. Each entrance is raised, with concrete steps and bollards leading to a recessed entrance with a pair of modern metal doors, which are flanked by brick pilasters with carved volutes at the top. Above the arched entranceway is a carved limestone panel with an open book and curved carvings. Windows on the second and third floors of the entrance towers are a ribbon of three, one-over-one, double-hung replacements with arched transoms. Window surrounds on the second floor are limestone with carved heads. The side (west and east) elevations are similar in design. Prominent entrances are at the rear corners. The entrances have decorative limestone surrounds with carved detail work and volutes. Above the entrances are three arched windows with simple limestone surrounds similar to those found on the facade. Windows on each story are arranged in ribbons of five and are one-over-one, double-hung replacements. At the center of each elevation are pairs of narrow, one-over-one, replacement windows with simple sills. The rear (north) elevation features a small, one-story wing that plans indicate was used as the boiler room. It is similarly clad with brown brick, and has similar ornamentation. The rear elevation has a mix of replacement and historic double-hung windows. School Sign, noncontributing, c.1990 At the southeast corner, outside the fencing, is a modern sign. It rests on a red brick foundation with a modern metal and plastic signboard. It has "Wisconsin Avenue" at the top of the sign with an eagle. Interior Although the school is currently vacant and no longer used as a school, it retains a number of the original features. All three floors and the basement were used for school activities. The interior of the building retains the general layout and many of the original details. The staircases are located in the towers that are on the facade and side elevations. Hallways and stairways retain their original terrazzo floors and the classrooms retain their original wood floors, though some have been carpeted. Drop ceiling was added in the hallways and some of the classrooms, and some of the original lighting has been removed. Additionally, metal fire doors have been added between the floors of the building for modern fire safety. According to the original plans, the basement of the school originally housed the boiler room, gym, library, play room, manual training room, and space for the future domestic science class. The interior remains largely the same. The gym, which is two stories and extends into the rear portion of the first story, retains a high degree of integrity. It has the original wood floor, movable dividing walls, and tall windows that light the space. The general spaces in the basement have been retained; however, one annex area was turned into a cafeteria when schools began providing lunches to students. The gym was then also used as the cafeteria. The library and play room was not accessible during the site visit. The first floor retains its original layout, which included designated rooms such as the teacher's room, teacher's kitchen, doctor's office, principal's office with waiting room, kindergarten room, and five classrooms. They are arranged in a U-shape around the high ceiling of the gym and two central light shafts. The floor retains its original layout and many of the rooms still have the original chalkboards, built-ins, and other original furniture. In addition, the kindergarten room retains a central brick fireplace with tiles that feature animals. The principal's office retains the original full room safe that would have guarded valuables. Each classroom also has an additional long corridor, called a "wardrobe" on the plans, that feature an area for children to hang their coats and store their belongings. The second and third floor each feature the two-story auditorium and seven classrooms with wardrobes hallways (see Figures 4 and 5). The auditorium, played directly above the gym, has a large central stage that is original, along with the original wood chairs. Above the entrances on the east and west sides of the room are plaster moldings that feature a central shield with an eagle, and floral flourishes. The lighting system appears to have been updated, but otherwise the room retains a high degree of integrity. Classrooms on the second and third floor are similar to those on the first floor." -"Grand Avenue Elementary School", WisDOT #2190-00-00, Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Inc. (2015). 2014- "The Grand Avenue School is a Collegiate Gothic grade school constructed in 1920 and designed by local architects Van Ryn & Degelleke. The building is located at the center of a full city block and is surrounded by square brick bollards with limestone accents and metal fencing. It is a large, square, brown brick building with limestone accents. The roof is flat, with a castellated brick parapet with limestone coping. Five decorative limestone carvings are located in regular intervals below the parapet. The school faces south onto West Wisconsin Avenue, and has two prominent, projecting entrance towers. They are two stories, with limestone door and window surrounds. Across the main block of the school are decorative brick and limestone pilasters, and in between are ribbons of one-over-one replacement windows with simple limestone sills and lintels. Distinct, decorative brickwork featuring blue headers and brown and red footers is on the wings of the school and in select areas near windows and pilasters. The school is currently vacant. Originally known as the Grand Avenue School, the building replaced a smaller school, 16th District #2, constructed in 1890. The building continued to operate as a grade school until 2007 when it closed, though the building is still owned by the city. The subject school was designed by Van Ryn and Degelleke, who were well known for school designs. In 1912 they were hired by the Milwaukee Public School Board as part-time school architects, a role they retained for 12 years. The Grand Avenue School is one of the many schools they constructed during this period." -"W Wisconsin Ave, 20th St-35th St", WisDOT #2190-00-00, Prepared by Mead & Hunt, Inc. (2014). |
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| Bibliographic References: | MILWAUKEE HISTORIC BUILDINGS TOUR: WEST END, CITY OF MILWAUKEE DEPARTMENT OF CITY DEVELOPMENT, 1994. Our Roots Grow Deep, 1836-67, Milwaukee Public Schools, p. 165. Sanborn Insurance Maps. 2014 (1) Bobby Tanzilo, “Urban Spelunking: Milwaukee Schools, Then and Now,” OnMilwaukee.com, http://onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/thenandnowschools.html (accessed 29 December 2014). (2) Robert Tanzilo, Historic Milwaukee Public Schoolhouses (Charleston, S.C.: The History Press, 2012), 31-32. Original plans on file at the Wisconsin Architectural Archive, dated 10 June 1919. "The New Grand Ave. Grade School: Model Structure" in Builder's Bulletin, July 1921 No. 7, p. 12. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |