Property Record
800 W WISCONSIN AVE
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | George Washington Statue |
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| Other Name: | George Washington Statue |
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| Reference Number: | 79391 |
| Location (Address): | 800 W WISCONSIN AVE |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
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| Year Built: | 1885 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2001 |
| Historic Use: | statue/sculpture |
| Architectural Style: | NA (unknown or not a building) |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Metal |
| Architect: | F. Galli Fusero; Richard Hamilton Park |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | 2001- "Resting on a 13' 6" square, granite pedestal, this 1 0' 6" bronze statue depicts George Washington in military dress with a cape. Two additional bronze figures, a mother and young child, are found at the pedestal's base. The mother points to the name "WASHINGTON" in raised lettering on the east face of the pedestal. A short metal fence originally surrounded the statue, however it has since been removed. Unveiled in front of a crowd of thousands on November 7, 1885, the subject statue was the first public sculpture installed in the City of Milwaukee and is reputed to be the first statue of George Washington erected west of Virginia. Donated by Miss Elizabeth Plankinton, daughter of the successful meat packer John Plankinton, the monument was cast in Florence, Italy, and cost $20,000. It was created by artist Richard Hamilton Park, whose other public work includes the Solomon Juneau statue, located in Juneau Park in Milwaukee, and the John Plankinton statue, found in the Grand Avenue Mall on Wisconsin Avenue. Mr. Park also executed numerous private commissions of busts and statues in Milwaukee during the late nineteenth century." - "Marquette Interchange, Milwaukee", WisDOT ID #1060-05-02, Prepared by Heritage Research (McQuillen) (2001). |
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| Bibliographic References: | Buck/Palmer, Outdoor Sculpture in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Sentinel 3/23/1995. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |