On Wednesday, the Wauwatosa Cemetery and its chapel, perched above Wauwatosa Avenue, just north of North Avenue, was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The non-denominational cemetery dates to 1866 when it was opened on 14 acres of land that even today maintain some of the site’s original topography, with rolling hills and along its northern Wright Street edge, a high point that descends down toward both Wauwatosa Avenue on the east and 80th Street on the west.
Along part of the Wauwatosa Avenue frontage sits a lannon stone wall.
It looks like a small-town cemetery, which is, effectively, what it was when it was established.
The complex was added to the State Register of Historic Places in February.
Walking through, the names on the headstones read like a register of famous Tosa names: Lefeber, Hart, Stickney, Underwood, Jacobus, Swan, Hoyt. Revolutionarary War veteran James Morgan is also buried there.
Later, in 1914, the chapel building was moved to the site.
The Greek Revival building was completed in 1853 for the First Baptist Church and was located further south on Wauwatosa Avenue, just south of North Avenue.
The church continued to use the building until 1888.
According to th Wisconsin Historical Society, “the former church was purchased in 1888 by Wauwatosa native Frederick D. Underwood who, by that time, was the general supervisor of the Soo Line Railroad.
“The building’s function from 1888 to 1904 remains unclear; however, by 1904, Underwood offered its use to the Wauwatosa Minute Men (later known as the Wauwatosa Light Guard) for use as an armory.”
In 1915, architect Fremont R. Crabtree oversaw a remodeling that removed the bell tower and replaced the windows, as well as adding a new basement and foundation, a gabled wing at the back, a porticoed entrance at the front and applying stucco.
The building ceased to be the site of funerals in 1951 and has since been used as storage.
“The interior continues to retain attributes of its funerary function,” notes WHS. “The main floor includes a raised altar area, in front of which is the casket lift, comprised of concrete walls and wooden panel doors. In addition to office space for the former cemetery sexton, the lower level still contains two rows of three, reinforced concrete vaults for casket storage.”
The Wauwatosa Cemetery Association has plans to restore the chapel for future use and is accepting online donations here.
The building and cemetery have been added to the NRHP because the complex, “retains integrity and is significant as a 19th century cemetery that reflects American burial customs in Wisconsin at the time.”
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
