Milwaukee-Downer College Campus Through the Years

Throughout Milwaukee-Downer College’s lifetime, many maps, aerial photos and postcards were made for the college, showing it’s progression through the years.

Campus Maps

This map is part of a full map of Milwaukee made in 1910. It shows McLaren Hall, Albert Hall, Holton Hall, Hawthorn Den, Merrill Hall, Johnston Hall, Greene Hall, Kimberly Hall, the Seminary Buildings, the Infirmary, the Lodge and the Laundry Building.

This map was the cover page of the Milwaukee-Downer College Cumtux 1938 issue.This map shows McLaren Hall, Albert Hall, Holton Hall, Hawthorn Den, Merrill Hall, Johnston Hall, Greene Hall, Kimberly Hall, Greene Memorial Museum, Sabin Hall, the Seminary Buildings, the Infirmary, the Superintendent’s House, the Boat House, the Lodge, Tennis Courts, a Hockey Field and the Powerhouse. It also shows the observatory and a small lake that is frozen over.

To the left of campus is a hospital which would become the Columbia Hospital. Columbia Hospital was bought by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2010, and is now the Northwest Quad. This map also shows the Normal School which is now Mitchell Hall.

To the right of campus, it shows a Gift Shop, Groceries, Becker’s, Tea Shop, Meats and Drug Store. On the lake it shows the Lake Park Golf Course, Milwaukee Gun Club, and Bradford Beach.

The Milwaukee River is much closer to campus in this map, and it has the Folsom Street Bridge going over it. Folsom Street was later renamed to Locust Street, which is also further south than shown on this map. Ironically, there is a character on this map saying, “This map is all wrong!”

This map was the cover page of the Milwaukee-Downer College Cumtux 1929 issue.This map shows McLaren Hall, Albert Hall, Holton Hall, Hawthorn Den, Merrill Hall, Johnston Hall, Greene Hall, Kimberly Hall, Greene Memorial Museum, the Infirmary, the Lodge and the Powerhouse. It also shows Sabin Hall being built behind Merrill Hall, a river going through campus, and an illustration of the observatory.

This map was the cover page of the Milwaukee-Downer College Cumtux 1938 issue.This map shows Chapman Memorial Library, McLaren Hall, Albert Hall, Holton Hall, Hawthorn Den, Merrill Hall, Johnston Hall, Greene Hall, Kimberly Hall, Greene Memorial Museum, Sabin Hall, the Infirmary, the Superintendent’s House, Engineer’s Residence, the Lodge, Tennis Courts, a Hockey Field and the Powerhouse. It also shows a stream that vaguely wanders through campus.

This map was the cover page of the Milwaukee-Downer College Cumtux 1950 issue.This map shows Chapman Memorial Library, McLaren Hall, Albert Hall, Holton Hall, Hawthorn Den, Merrill Hall, Johnston Hall, Greene Hall, Kimberly Hall, Greene Memorial Museum, Sabin Hall, the Infirmary, the Superintendent’s House, Engineer’s Residence, the Lodge , Tennis Courts, an Archery Range and the Powerhouse.

This map shows Milwaukee-Downer College in relation to the rest of Milwaukee. The Milwaukee-Downer College buildings pictured are Chapman Memorial Library, McLaren Hall, Albert Hall, Holton Hall, Merrill Hall, Johnston Hall, Kimberly Hall, Sabin Hall, the Powerhouse, the Infirmary and the Boat House.

It also shows several Milwaukee landmarks including Washington Park Zoo, Lake Park, the Safety Building, the Courthouse, the Arena, Pabst Theater, City Hall, the Art Institute, Milwaukee Public Museum and Library, Downtown Shopping District, the Post Office, Mitchell Park Observatory and the South Shore Yacht Club.

This map of Milwaukee-Downer College is on display in Holton Hall. It shows Chapman Memorial Library, McLaren Hall, Albert Hall, Holton Hall, Merrill Hall, Johnston Hall, Greene Hall, Kimberly Hall, Greene Memorial Museum, Sabin Hall, the Seminary Buildings including the Kindergarten, the Infirmary, the Manager’s Building, Engineer’s Residence, Garage and the Powerhouse.

This map also shows an concrete tunnel from McLaren hall to Chapman Memorial Library. According to the building chair of Chapman Hall, there are no remnants of a tunnel.

This map was a pamphlet given to students in 1964. It shows Chapman Memorial Library, McLaren Hall, Albert Hall, Holton Hall, Merrill Hall, Johnston Hall, Greene Hall, Kimberly Union, Greene Memorial Museum, Sabin Hall, the Powerhouse, the Health Center, the Superintendent’s House, the Tennis Courts and the Hockey Field. They also added a parking lot between Chapman Memorial Library and McLaren Hall.

This is a map of UWM from 1964, showing that they bought all of the Milwaukee-Downer College Buildings. Chapman Hall had been renamed to Pearse Hall after Carroll G. Pearse, president of the Milwaukee State Teachers College from 1913 to 1923. The Kindergarten was renamed Vogel Hall, and Vogel Hall had been renamed to Garland Hall after Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Hamlin Garland.

The Engineer’s Residence was renamed to Residence East, and was used as an electrical shop by UWM until it was razed in 1970 to make way for the UWM Central Heating Plant. The Superintendent’s House was renamed to Residence West, and was used by the UWM Police Department, Anthropology Department, and the Art Department until it was razed in 1975 for construction of the Klotsche Center.

Aerial Photos:

This aerial photo was taken by the Milwaukee Journal. It shows Chapman Memorial Library, McLaren Hall, Albert Hall, Holton Hall, Hawthorn Den, Merrill Hall, Johnston Hall, Greene Hall, Kimberly Hall, Greene Memorial Museum, Sabin Hall, the Seminary Buildings, the Infirmary, the Powerhouse, the Lodge, the Superintendent’s House, Tennis Courts and a Hockey Field.

This aerial photo shows Chapman Memorial Library, McLaren Hall, Albert Hall, Hawthorn Den, Holton Hall, Merrill Hall, Johnston Hall, Greene Hall, Kimberly Hall, Greene Memorial Museum, Sabin Hall, the Infirmary, the President’s House, the Powerhouse, the Lodge, Tennis Courts and a Hockey Field.

This aerial photo is on display in Holton Hall. It shows McLaren Hall, Albert Hall, Holton Hall, Hawthorn Den, Merrill Hall, Johnston Hall, Greene Hall, Kimberly Hall, Greene Memorial Museum, Sabin Hall, the roof of Vogel Hall, the Infirmary, the Superintendent’s House, the Powerhouse, the Engineer’s Residence, the Lodge, Tennis Courts and a Hockey Field.

Postcards:

Campus Gallery: