'His presence is in our eyesight every day': How Wisconsin's first Black architect left his mark on the city

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- As Black History Month shines a light on some important names in history, one stands out as a pillar in Milwaukee's architectural community.

Alonzo Robinson Jr. was Wisconsin's first licensed Black architect. His work can be seen throughout the City of Milwaukee and efforts are underway to preserve his legacy.

Clayborn Benson, Executive Director at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society says Robinson's presence is in our eyesight every day.

"He's unique and special. He comes here in the late 40's, early 50's. He becomes the lifeline for many of the African Americans migrating from the south. He is petitioned to build their homes," said Benson.

Robinson's work had its own unique touches. "He puts little things like, vestibules, libraries, and hallways in people's homes that they wouldn’t normally have," Benson said.

Robinson also worked for the city and the county for a period of time and designed notable buildings like the Downtown Milwaukee Fire Department headquarters, which was renamed in his honor back 2021.

With so many things changing around the city, efforts are underway to document and preserve the work of Black architects like Robinson. "We are working with a team of community partners to study the work of Alonzo Robinson," said Justin Miller, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee architectural historian. Miller is heading a project that dives deep into Robinson's work.

While Robinson did a lot of work for the local government, much of his career was focused on his private practice. Throughout his 40 years of work, he's designed more than 100 buildings.

"We've been working to identify as many of the buildings that he built as possible. We've identified about 120 projects," Miller said. These projects range from large scale public buildings and churches, to smaller projects like beauty salons, daycares, and restaurants that he completed as part of his private practice.

Miller says those smaller projects are the most interesting and help shape much of Robinson's legacy. "They really show his abilities as an architect and they really represent his belief in trying to build the African American community to provide the kind of community infrastructure of buildings and services -- that the community needed to expand and thrive," Miller said.

He retired in the 1990's and passed away in 2003 but his legacy lives on and this UW-Milwaukee project hopes to make Robinson's contributions to the community more widely known.