Residents urge preservation of Blair House as commission readies response

Public commenters told the Waukesha City Landmarks Commission that a proposed reduction to the National Register boundary for the Senator William and Henrietta Blair House would omit historically significant land and weaken protections.

"We really believe that there was an error in the 1990 Madison Street Historic District," said Lisa Salb (4334 Madison Street), who urged the commission to press the state to retain the property's full historic footprint. Salb said the nomination appears to follow an "imaginary" rear-lot line drawn by the map system and omits the historically designated Parkview Park across Randall Street.

Karen Frame, a local homeowner, said she supported Salb and raised a separate concern about donor intent in local land use decisions, comparing the Blair matter to a past dispute over Frame Park. During old-business discussion, commissioners reiterated that the commission's jurisdiction is to offer an opinion on a boundary decrease; the decision whether to alter the National Register listing lies with the state.

Commission members agreed to finalize and send a joint response. The commission approved a draft response letter as written and the chair will sign and submit it; staff said the state submission deadline is February 21 and that email submission is acceptable.

The commission noted they are also awaiting comment from the historical society on whether Henry Blair should be added to descriptive text in the nomination materials. The public commentators asked that the commission's state response reflect that the 1983 National Register nomination covered the entire parcel and that the commission oppose any decrease that would exclude historically relevant land.