Wisconsin Historical Society: Placed the Fifth Street School on the State Register of Historic Places

Contact: Kara O’Keeffe
kara.okeeffe@wisconsinhistory.org
608-261-9596

Milwaukee, Wis. – The Wisconsin Historical Society placed the Fifth Street School (Milwaukee, Milwaukee County) on the State Register of Historic Places.

The Fifth Street School, designed in the Romanesque Revival style, was built in 1888 and expanded in 1908. While the Romanesque Revival was widely used in school design during the 1880s and 1890s, this school is a particularly fine example. This brick masonry building features hallmarks of the style, such as the use of gabled wall dormers detailed with miniature round arches, steeply pitched pyramidal roof, and windows grouped beneath decorative round arches. Stylistically, the school represents a period in which Milwaukee public school buildings featured a picturesque appearance with high quality craftsmanship and decorative detailing.  Fifth Street School has excellent interior and exterior integrity, retaining original materials and features. Designed by Herman Schnetzky, a prominent German-born Milwaukee architect who was versatile in a variety of architectural styles, this school is a very good example of his work.

The State Register is Wisconsin’s official list of state properties determined to be significant to Wisconsin’s heritage. The State Historic Preservation Office at the Wisconsin Historical Society administers both the State Register and National Register in Wisconsin.

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org.

About Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org.