Milwaukee County’s Washington Park Designated a historic landmark
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The Milwaukee County Landmarks Committee has designated Milwaukee County’s Washington Park as a historic landmark.
The park, which was designed by 19th-century landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted in 1895, has been undergoing a more than $20 million renovation with updates to the lagoon bridges, the building of a new Urban Ecology Center and improving accessibility for park-goers. It was home to the Milwaukee County Zoo until 1958 and hosted major concerts with performers Duke Ellington and Lily Pons in the Blatz Temple of Music.
Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Peter Burgelis, whose district encompasses the park, said recent investments show "our renewed commitment to maintaining and growing Washington Park for generations to come" and that the park acts "as a catalyst for neighborhood growth and improving overall quality of life."
In late 2022, the park was among one of the country's most threatened Olmsted landscapes, according to a report and exhibition from The Cultural Landscape Foundation.
“This declaration is a testament to our dedication to preserving history, fostering community, and embracing a shared future,” said Melissa Muller, director and board president of Washington Park Neighbors.
In the 1890s, Washington Park was one of the first seven parks for which the recently formed Milwaukee Board of Park Commissioners purchased land.
Olmsted, who also designed New York City's Central Park, designed three of those first seven parks bought by the board: Washington Park, Riverside Park and Lake Park.
He called the system the “Grand Necklace of Parks,” later nicknamed the “Necklace of Green."
"Milwaukee County has a rich Olmsted heritage that rivals other cities," said Philip Schultz, Board Chair of the D.C.-based Olmsted Network. "Designating Washington Park a historic landmark is an important step in acknowledging Milwaukee’s 'Central Park.'"
Washington Park on the city's west side is bounded by North 39th Street on the east, West Vliet Street on the south, the Stadium Freeway on the west and West Lloyd Street and West Lisbon Avenue on the north.
Contact Vanessa Swales at 414-308-5881 or vswales@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @Vanessa_Swales.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee County’s Washington Park designated a historic landmark
