Beulah Brinton House Surveyed by UWM Preservation Studio

by Bill O'Brien

UWM Team seeks to repeat success in last year’s Peterson Prize Competition

On Friday, November 13, sixteen architectural students in UW Milwaukee Professor Matt Jarosz’s preservation studio course will continue their intense study of the Beulah Brinton House, headquarters of the Bay View Historical Society. For several weeks now, the students have been photographing, measuring, and recording this 1872 Gothic revival home.

The team’s work is being conducted to standards for the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and will be deposited in the Library of Congress. The results will also be entered into the Peterson Prize Competition, a national contest sponsored by the National Park Service, the Athenaeum of Philadelphia, and the American Institute of Architects.

A UWM team’s study of the Boynton Chapel in Bailey’s Harbor placed third in the Peterson contest last year. Professor Jarosz intends the Brinton House study to be the 2010 champion. He said, “This is a significant structure and a great opportunity for students to apply and refine their skills.”

The survey will give the historical society a careful record of the current state of the house, built in the early 1870’s, and will inform decisions on needed repairs and appropriate restorations.

“We are excited that the students are using the Brinton House as their competition subject,” said Kathy Mulvey, President of the Bay View Historical Society. “The Society has just begun a three year capital campaign to protect and restore the house. The student’s efforts are an important step in guiding our work on the building.”

Mulvey added, “Mrs. Brinton opened her house to the families of the Bay View’s iron mill workers, creating the neighborhood’s first community center. We’re delighted to have the students make a studio and lab out of the rooms where Beulah taught reading and started a neighborhood library. It’s just what she would have done, drawing others in to help the community while they gain valuable experience. It is a win-win for the society and the students.”

The Bay View Historical Society, established in 1979, is dedicated to maintaining the Bay View community through conserving, celebrating and sharing Bay View’s rich heritage. With almost 500 members, it is one of the largest local historical societies in the area. The Society maintains headquarters at one of the most prominent historical sites in Bay View, the Beulah Brinton House. Built in 1872, it is considered to be among the best remaining Gothic Revival residences in the city and was formerly home to Beulah Brinton, a community leader who turned her house into an informal social center and Bay View’s first library. The Society also designates landmarks throughout Bay View and publishes a newsletter, The Historian, which contains articles of local historical interest. During the year, the Society conducts general membership meetings, historic walks and other social events. Membership in the Society is open to anyone interested in supporting the Society’s programs.

Contact:

Kathy Mulvey 414-744-0408

Matt Jarosz 414-229-5686