Keeper upholds Blair House boundary after Landmarks Commission opposition, resident says

A Waukesha resident told the Landmarks Commission on Wednesday that the National Register of Historic Places has upheld the existing boundary of the Blair House, reversing a city request to remove a parcel from the listed property.

Lisa Salvo, of 434 Madison Street, told the commission she had received written comments from the Keeper of the National Register confirming that while a parking lot lacks direct association with Senator Blair, the land on which that lot sits is part of the historic Blair family property and continues to contribute to the property's period of significance. "The National Register of Historic Places has reviewed the submitted documentation and finds the Blair House boundary remains as listed," Salvo said.

Salvo recounted the review timeline: the city submitted a boundary-decrease application in spring 2024; the local Landmarks Commission voted not to waive statutory notice and later drafted an opposition letter in December 2024 that the commission approved in February 2025. She said the state review board denied the city's requested decrease in May, and the mayor then appealed to the Keeper at the national level. Salvo told commissioners the Keeper's response recognized the commission's report had been "heard" and recommended restraint on further public statements by the commission on that specific appeal.

Commission members did not take formal action on the public comment but the exchange clarified that the federal review had concluded the challenged parcel remains part of the listed Blair House property. The comment reiterated the commission's prior opposition and provided commissioners with the Keeper's reasoning that the parcel's integrity and historic associations remain intact.

The commission moved on to its agenda business; no formal appeal or additional motion related to the Blair boundary was made at the meeting.