Milwaukee preservation staff recommends local designation for 140 W. Garfield; commission tables decision to Jan. 12

The Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission heard a staff recommendation to grant local historic designation to the Second German Methodist Episcopal Church at 140 West Garfield Avenue and agreed to hold the item to its next meeting to allow the owner and nearby stakeholders additional review.

Unidentified preservation staff told the commission the body’s role was limited to deciding whether the structure met the ordinance’s criteria for designation. Staff recommended designation under criteria 1 (association with cultural/social history), 5 (embodiment of an architectural type), 6 (work of a master architect) and 9 (unique location or familiar visual feature), noting the property is a contributing structure in the Brewers Hill National Register Historic District.

Staff traced the building’s history to 1887–88, when it was built as the Second German Methodist Episcopal Church and later became Epworth Methodist after a 1928 merger. The presentation said the church hosted civil-rights activities in the 1960s and had ties to neighborhood institutions; staff highlighted design features such as cream-city brick, corbelling, lancet windows, a corner tower and interior detailing tied to architect Hermann Paul Schnetzky and later 1939 renovations by Hugo Heuser.

Neighborhood advocates told the commission the building is historically significant and at risk. Tim Baldwin, identifying himself as an auxiliary director and co-chair of the neighborhood association’s preservation committee, said the nomination was prompted by a recently filed raze/demolition permit that was withdrawn and warned that original stained-glass windows and interior features have already been lost. "This 138 year old Gothic Revival church ... is one of the few remaining examples of this type in the area," Baldwin said, urging designation to secure protections.

Emma Rudd, executive director of the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance, voiced organizational support and called the building a "critical landmark" that helps tell Brewers Hill’s story.

Adjacency concerns and the owner’s position tempered the unanimous public support. Cole Knippel, executive director of Saint Marcus Ministries (which owns nearby properties), asked the commission to pause action so his organization can inspect the building’s structural condition and explore possible partnership or rehabilitation options. Property owner Ryan Petty said an unauthorized demolition permit had been filed by a third party and was withdrawn immediately upon discovery; Petty said he received the staff’s 40-page presentation only on Friday and requested more time to review it. He told commissioners the property has a new roof (installed in 2024), a $35,000 boiler added last winter, and that parts of the interior (including windows and woodwork) have already been removed.

Commissioners questioned whether delaying a decision would risk further deterioration; Petty and staff said the building is heated and a daycare tenant occupies space below the sanctuary. After discussion the chair moved to hold the nomination to the commission’s next meeting on Jan. 12 at 3:00 p.m. The motion carried with no objections.

The commission’s action pauses a local designation decision so the owner and nearby institutions can review documentation and, if desired, pursue structural assessment or partnership options. The item will return to the commission on Jan. 12 at 3:00 p.m.