Milwaukee County Courthouse
Encyclopedia
The Milwaukee County Courthouse is a high-rise municipal building located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin
. Completed in 1931, it is the third county courthouse built in the city and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The two previous courthouses were located at what is now Cathedral Square Park
on the east side of the Milwaukee River
.
Revival style of the building was the result of a nationwide design competition, in which architect Albert Randolph Ross
with the New York
firm of McKim, Mead, and White
was selected out of 33 entries from across the country. It was constructed using Bedford limestone
and features architectural details and sculptural decorations with a Beaux-Arts influence, such as a flat roofline, stone owls and lion heads.
While heralded as one of the grandest courthouses in the United States
, it was once called a "million dollar rockpile" by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright
.
, main building of the Milwaukee Public Library
, and a swath of government buildings running east along Wells Street to the Milwaukee City Hall
.
Along the east side of the County Courthouse is a terraced commons area called MacArthur Square. It was dedicated on September 17, 1945 to General Douglas MacArthur
, whom attended West Division High School (now Milwaukee High School of the Arts
) in Milwaukee. A parking garage was built underneath in 1967, which cuts in to the side of the hill. At the base of the building is the India-America Friendship Park and a statue in memory of Mahatma Gandhi
. North 9th Street continues through as a tunnel between the building and parking structure.
Unfortunately, MacArthur Square is most often remembered for its issues with transients sleeping on park benches and noise pollution
from the high capacity ventilation of lower parking levels. A large water fountain is unable to drown this out.
Just to the north is the Milwaukee County Safety Building and Milwaukee County Jail. On the southern side of the courthouse is Clas Park
, named for local architect and city planner Alfred Clas. The Kilbourn Tunnel, a connecting corridor to and from northbound I-43
at the Courthouse Annex on the west side of the building to Kilbourn Avenue, runs underneath the courthouse and surrounding civic area. It is dedicated to city co-founder Byron Kilbourn
.
The Milwaukee County Courthouse Annex was a five story 447-space concrete parking facility that also housed limited office space. Built in the 1960s, it extended over the three northbound lanes of Interstate 43
(I-43) just north of the Marquette Interchange
. On the north façade was a four-story, 76 by 37 ft (23.2 by 11.3 m) mural titled "Whale Commuters". It was donated by artist Robert Wyland, who is known for painting large outdoor murals of whales called Whaling Walls, and dedicated on September 15, 1997.
Following some political controversy between Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker
and the Board of Supervisors, along with an unsuccessful offer by the Wisconsin Film Office to allow an implosion
of the structure for any production interested in filming it for a demolition scene, the Annex was demolished as part of the interchange reconstruction. The last section came down on May 23, 2006 after a permit was obtained from the Federal Government to proceed in spite of some nesting seagulls and their eggs.
Upon learning of the impending destruction of his mural, Wyland threatened legal action, citing the Visual Artists Rights Act
which gives artists the right to protect their work. According to the contract he signed these rights were waived and Milwaukee County "reserves the right to remodel or demolish the building and/or remove the mural at any time." Since then, Wyland has offered to paint the Wells Street side of the Milwaukee Public Museum
, the building he had originally wanted to do. However, as was the original problem, the museum has refused the offer due to the lack of any connection between Milwaukee and the ocean and therefore whales as well.
A small section of the Whaling Wall containing an adult and baby dolphin was removed on May 2, 2006, prior to demolition. The dolphin section and a piece with the "Wyland" signature were installed at the northern portal of the Kilbourn Tunnel at I-43 northbound in February 2007, near the location of the former mural.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. Completed in 1931, it is the third county courthouse built in the city and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The two previous courthouses were located at what is now Cathedral Square Park
Cathedral Square Park
Cathedral Square Park is a small urban Milwaukee County Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, located to the west of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist-History:...
on the east side of the Milwaukee River
Milwaukee River
The Milwaukee River is a river in the state of Wisconsin. It is about long.- Description :The river begins in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin and flows south past Grafton to downtown Milwaukee, where it empties into Lake Michigan...
.
Description
Situated on the crown of a hill, it is 176 feet (54m) tall and has eleven floors. The Neo-ClassicalNeoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
Revival style of the building was the result of a nationwide design competition, in which architect Albert Randolph Ross
Albert Randolph Ross
Albert Randolph Ross was an American architect. Born in Westfield, Massachusetts, he was a son of architect John W. Ross....
with the New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
firm of McKim, Mead, and White
McKim, Mead, and White
McKim, Mead & White was a prominent American architectural firm at the turn of the twentieth century and in the history of American architecture. The firm's founding partners were Charles Follen McKim , William Rutherford Mead and Stanford White...
was selected out of 33 entries from across the country. It was constructed using Bedford limestone
Indiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone, also known as Bedford Limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford....
and features architectural details and sculptural decorations with a Beaux-Arts influence, such as a flat roofline, stone owls and lion heads.
While heralded as one of the grandest courthouses in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it was once called a "million dollar rockpile" by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
.
Civic Space
The Milwaukee County Courthouse is part of a greater civic space that includes not only the immediate area, but also the neighboring Milwaukee Public MuseumMilwaukee Public Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum is a natural and human history museum located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The museum was chartered in 1882 and opened to the public in 1884; it is a not-for-profit organization operated by the Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc. MPM has three floors of exhibits...
, main building of the Milwaukee Public Library
Milwaukee Public Library
Milwaukee Public Library is the public library system in Milwaukee, Wisconsin consisting of a central library and 12 branches, all part of the Milwaukee County Federated Library System...
, and a swath of government buildings running east along Wells Street to the Milwaukee City Hall
Milwaukee City Hall
City Hall is the scene of the largest Socialist victory ever registered in an American city, when in 1910 Emil Seidel and a majority Socialist Common Council swept into office. Although the Socialist majority on the Common Council was short-lived, the city was led by Socialist mayors from 1916 to...
.
Along the east side of the County Courthouse is a terraced commons area called MacArthur Square. It was dedicated on September 17, 1945 to General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, whom attended West Division High School (now Milwaukee High School of the Arts
Milwaukee High School of the Arts
Established in 1984, Milwaukee High School of the Arts , formerly West Division Sr. High School, is a high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is a part of the Milwaukee Public Schools system. It specializes in preparation for a profession in the arts.Students receive a minimum of two hours in...
) in Milwaukee. A parking garage was built underneath in 1967, which cuts in to the side of the hill. At the base of the building is the India-America Friendship Park and a statue in memory of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
. North 9th Street continues through as a tunnel between the building and parking structure.
Unfortunately, MacArthur Square is most often remembered for its issues with transients sleeping on park benches and noise pollution
Noise pollution
Noise pollution is excessive, displeasing human, animal or machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life...
from the high capacity ventilation of lower parking levels. A large water fountain is unable to drown this out.
Just to the north is the Milwaukee County Safety Building and Milwaukee County Jail. On the southern side of the courthouse is Clas Park
Parks of Milwaukee
-List of parks in Milwaukee County park system:The Milwaukee County Park system was awarded the 2009 National Gold Medal Award "for excellence in the field of park and recreation management" by the National Recreation and Park Association.-Other parks:...
, named for local architect and city planner Alfred Clas. The Kilbourn Tunnel, a connecting corridor to and from northbound I-43
Interstate 43
Interstate 43 is a intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Wisconsin, connecting Interstate 39 and Interstate 90 in Beloit with Milwaukee and U.S. Route 41 and U.S. Route 141 in Green Bay. I-43 is the 5th longest intrastate Interstate Highway of the Interstate...
at the Courthouse Annex on the west side of the building to Kilbourn Avenue, runs underneath the courthouse and surrounding civic area. It is dedicated to city co-founder Byron Kilbourn
Byron Kilbourn
Byron Kilbourn was an American surveyor, railroad executive, and politician who was an important figure in the founding of Milwaukee, Wisconsin....
.
Courthouse Annex
Interstate 43
Interstate 43 is a intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Wisconsin, connecting Interstate 39 and Interstate 90 in Beloit with Milwaukee and U.S. Route 41 and U.S. Route 141 in Green Bay. I-43 is the 5th longest intrastate Interstate Highway of the Interstate...
(I-43) just north of the Marquette Interchange
Marquette Interchange
The Marquette Interchange is a major freeway interchange in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, located near Marquette University where Interstate 43, Interstate 94, Interstate 794, and U.S. Highway 41 meet...
. On the north façade was a four-story, 76 by 37 ft (23.2 by 11.3 m) mural titled "Whale Commuters". It was donated by artist Robert Wyland, who is known for painting large outdoor murals of whales called Whaling Walls, and dedicated on September 15, 1997.
Following some political controversy between Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker
Scott Walker (politician)
Scott Kevin Walker is an American Republican politician who began serving as the 45th Governor of Wisconsin on January 3, 2011, after defeating Democratic candidate Tom Barrett, 52 percent to 47 percent in the November 2010 general election...
and the Board of Supervisors, along with an unsuccessful offer by the Wisconsin Film Office to allow an implosion
Building implosion
In the controlled demolition industry, building implosion is the strategic placing of explosive material and timing of its detonation so that a structure collapses on itself in a matter of seconds, minimizing the physical damage to its immediate surroundings...
of the structure for any production interested in filming it for a demolition scene, the Annex was demolished as part of the interchange reconstruction. The last section came down on May 23, 2006 after a permit was obtained from the Federal Government to proceed in spite of some nesting seagulls and their eggs.
Upon learning of the impending destruction of his mural, Wyland threatened legal action, citing the Visual Artists Rights Act
Visual Artists Rights Act
The Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 , , is a United States law protecting artist rights.VARA was the first federal copyright legislation to grant protection to moral rights...
which gives artists the right to protect their work. According to the contract he signed these rights were waived and Milwaukee County "reserves the right to remodel or demolish the building and/or remove the mural at any time." Since then, Wyland has offered to paint the Wells Street side of the Milwaukee Public Museum
Milwaukee Public Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum is a natural and human history museum located in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. The museum was chartered in 1882 and opened to the public in 1884; it is a not-for-profit organization operated by the Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc. MPM has three floors of exhibits...
, the building he had originally wanted to do. However, as was the original problem, the museum has refused the offer due to the lack of any connection between Milwaukee and the ocean and therefore whales as well.
A small section of the Whaling Wall containing an adult and baby dolphin was removed on May 2, 2006, prior to demolition. The dolphin section and a piece with the "Wyland" signature were installed at the northern portal of the Kilbourn Tunnel at I-43 northbound in February 2007, near the location of the former mural.