600 W WALNUT ST

600 W WALNUT ST

Milwaukee

Milwaukee

1973

2004,2025

large office building

New Formalism

Concrete

Alonzo Robinson

No

2025: The Central City Plaza was designed in the New Formalism style by Wisconsin’s first registered Black architect, Alonzo Robinson, in 1973. The business complex consists of three buildings located at the northwest corner of the North 6th and West Walnut Streets intersection in the historic Bronzeville neighborhood. The squared lot spans one city block and is bound by North 6th Street, West Vine Street, North 7th Street, and West Walnut Street. The parcel is centrally bisected by an east-west concrete alleyway. Areas in-between properties are additionally paved for related surface parking, walkways, and sidewalk. A limited perimeter of grass landscaping surrounds the lot at the back edge of sidewalk. Juvenile trees at the grass terraces line the North 6th Street and West Vine Street boulevards. The commercial center was designed by Robinson to create a sound economic base for Black residents. Services were organized across three buildings: Most Worshipful Prince Hall Masonic Center (AHI No. 132951) at 600 West Walnut Street, George Hilliard Health Center (AHI No. 248475) at 1747 North 6th Street, and Salvation Army Emergency Lodge (AHI No. 248476) at 1730 North 7th Street. Services included hospitality, retail, offices, supermarket, liquor store, and others, such as a supper club and bowling alley. Most Worshipful Prince Hall Masonic Center (AHI No. 132951) was constructed at 600 West Walnut Street as a two-story shopping center at the northwest corner of the North 6th Street and West Walnut Street intersection (Figure 17). It has a rectilinear footprint, a concrete foundation, a smooth concrete exterior, and a flat roof. The footprint reduces in height at the rear to one-and-a-half stories. The principle façade fronting West Walnut hosts a narrow and decentered entrance bay of smooth concrete towards the east. The bay is lettered with “Most Worshipful Prince Hall Masonic Center F. & A. M. of Wis. Inc.” and a masonic badge. It attaches to a partial width arched colonnade canopy that extends from the central bay to the eastern elevation and shades the main entry’s geometric curtain wall. The glass double doors are accessed by a bank of concrete steps and a westwards facing ramp. The western portion of the principle façade is chiefly organized by a pair of linear window lines. Windows are primarily fixed, singular, rectilinear windows in metal frames, in alignment and regularly spaced. Each window is accented with flat concrete sills and lintels, set into vertical panels of fluted concrete formwork. At the sides are secondary entrances each featuring a one-story reduced arched colonnade in front of a fullheight curtain wall system that extends from ground level to the coping. Integrated concrete planter beds mark each entry. The sides generally follow the arrangement of the first-floor window line. George Hilliard Health Center (AHI No. 248475) was constructed at 1747 North 6th Street as one-story commercial office building at the southwest corner of the North 6th Street and West Vine Street intersection (Figure 18). It has a rectilinear footprint, a parged foundation, a smooth concrete panel exterior, and a flat roof with boxed parapet eaves. The principle façade fronting North 6th Street exhibits bilateral symmetry in its arrangement of features. The slightly raised main entry is identified by a series of five semi-circular aluminum storefront systems that together form an arched colonnade flanked by large porthole windows. It is accessed by a near full-width trapezoidal concrete ramp. Both side elevations contain a corresponding porthole window. The rear elevation generally mimics the front arrangement, without the raised profile and ramp. Salvation Army Emergency Lodge (AHI No. 248476) was constructed at 1730 North 7th Street as a two-story commercial building at the southeast corner of the West Vine Street and North 7th Street intersection (Figure 17). It has a u-shape footprint with paved courtyard, a concrete foundation, a smooth concrete panel exterior, and a flat roof. Despite the building’s deep setback, the principle façade fronts onto North 6th Street. The centered main entry in the interior courtyard is identified by a partial width one-story arched colonnade canopy shading a geometric curtain wall. Street-facing side elevations are organized by linear window lines. Windows are primarily two-lite vertical windows in metal frames, in alignment and regularly spaced. Each window is set into vertical panels of fluted concrete formwork. Integrated grates for heating/cooling units are beneath each window. This property was evaluated for the National Register under Criteria A, B, and C. The complex was determined eligible by the Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Office in 2024 under Criterion A: History in the areas of Commerce and Black Ethnic Heritage. Central City Plaza was designed by Alonzo Robinson, Wisconsin’s first registered Black architect and founder of Wisconsin’s first Black-owned architecture firm of DeQuardo, Robinson, & Crouch. The property was listed as a local landmark in 2024. Central City Development Corporation was a Black development group organized to combat urban renewal policies and prevent the redevelopment of the primarily African American neighborhood known as Bronzeville. The core of Bronzeville’s historic African American community life was focused along Walnut Street. Central City Plaza at 600 West Walnut Street became the state's first Black developed, owned, and operated commercial complex, with intentions of reclaiming the city's African American commercial hearth last achieved during the Bronzeville era.19 ND: Designed by Wisconsin's first African American architect, Alonzo Robinson. "Developed by the Central City Development Corporation (CCDC) which was a Black development group organized by some of Milwaukee's most prominent Civil Rights leaders... The project was to become the state's first Black developed, owned and operated commercial complex, with intentions of reclaiming the city's African American commercial hearth last achieved during the Bronzeville era." -"Beyond Cream City Brick Part Two: Sensitive, Contextual, Modern: Examining Works by Alonzo Robinson, Wisconsin's First Black Architect"

Building Permit. Chris Rute, Historic Designation Report: Central City Plaza Historic District, CCF 241559 (Historic Preservation Council and Zoning, Neighborhoods, and Development Committee, 2024), chromeextension:// efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/cityHPC/DesignatedReports/vticnf/Centr al-City-Plaza-District-Permanent-Designation.pdf. Kelsey Kuehn and Paul Wellington, “Beyond Cream City Brick Part Two: Sensitive, Contextual, Modern: Examining Works by Alonzo Robinson, Wisconsin’s First Black Architect,” Docomomo US, May 18, 2021, https://www.docomomo-us.org/news/sensitivecontextual- modern-examining-works-by-alonzo-robinson-wisconsin-s-first-black-architect. UW-Milwaukee Cultural Resource Management. The Architecture of Alonzo Robinson, Jr.: Thematic Survey Report. December 2024.

Not Listed