Property Record
1616 Beld Street
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Tuxedo Tavern |
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| Other Name: | Mr. P's |
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| Reference Number: | 241074 |
| Location (Address): | 1616 Beld Street |
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| County: | Dane |
| City: | Madison |
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| Year Built: | 1964 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2019 |
| Historic Use: | tavern/bar |
| Architectural Style: | Twentieth Century Commercial |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
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| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | City of Madison, Wisconsin Underrepresented Communities Historic Resource Survey Report: Both Zachery and Maxine Trotter were born in Georgia in 1888. They migrated to Madison in the early twentieth century. In 1928, Zachery Trotter established the first African American owned tavern and nightclub, the Tuxedo Tavern, in a non-extant building at 763 West Washington Avenue in the Triangle portion of the Greenbush neighborhood. The tavern was a popular draw for the racially diverse neighborhood. In 1960, the business was forced to leave, and the building was demolished as a part of the Triangle neighborhood urban renewal efforts. The African American community’s experience of racial discrimination in real estate applied to commercial properties as well as housing, and the Trotters had difficulty finding a place to relocate their business, obtaining a tavern license, and recovering adequate compensation for relocation from the Madison Redevelopment Authority. A proposed move to 1044 South Park Street was prevented by a petition of residents. Finally, the Tuxedo Tavern re-opened at 1616 Beld Street in the Bram’s Addition neighborhood on the south side of Madison in 1964. The tavern remained the only African American owned bar and nightclub in the city through the 1960s. The Tuxedo Tavern closed in 1970; after which time, space was occupied by Mr. P’s, a popular restaurant owned and operated by Roger Parks at this location from 1971 to 1998. |
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| Bibliographic References: |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |