MILWAUKEE - The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Milwaukee Jewish Home for the Aged in the National Register of Historic Places on October 16, 2024. The building was constructed in 1930 as a senior living facility for the Jewish community in Milwaukee County.

The Jewish Home was founded in 1906, after a growing population of elderly residents needed daily assistance. A dedicated building was constructed at 2436 North 50th Street in 1930 as housing for elderly members of Milwaukee’s Jewish community. This demand for elderly housing corresponded with early- and mid-twentieth century national trends in increasing elderly populations and increased life expectancy. By 1949, the Jewish Home expanded again to accommodate more residents and updates to their medical services, reflecting the new and expanding field of geriatric medicine in the United States. By the 1970s, the demand of more residents surpassed what the property could provide, and fundraising efforts led to a much larger building near Lake Michigan.

The Jewish Home is an excellent representative example of early-twentieth century elderly housing and the evolution of elderly housing and care. They based their philosophy on Jewish tenets while providing necessary medical treatment to aging residents. The Jewish Home served the elderly Jewish community over the course of its 45 years of operation at this location. The organization continues to serve the Jewish community by Lake Michigan.

Additional information for the Milwaukee Home for the Aged is available at:

https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR2813

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: https://wisconsinhistory.org/hp/register/

About the 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 wisconsinhistory.org.