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Bay View Historic District
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Home of Beulah Brinton, an early community figure
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| Location: | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
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| Built: | 1867 |
| Architect: | multiple |
| Architectural style: | Bungalow/Craftsman, Late Victorian |
| Governing body: | Local |
| NRHP Reference#: | 82000686[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | August 23, 1982 |
Bay View is a neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan, south of the downtown area and north of the City of St. Francis. Bay View existed as an independent village for seven years, from 1879-1886.
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The original Village of Bay View is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Bay View Historic District. According to the designation, it is roughly bounded by Lake Michigan to the east, Meredith Street to Superior, up to Nock Street and then from Wentworth Avenue to Pryor Avenue.
The first permanent European settlement of the Bay View area was in 1834; Horace Chase, future Milwaukee mayor, is credited as the first permanent settler.[2] In 1855, the Green Bay, Milwaukee and Chicago Rail Road established its first Milwaukee-area depot in Bay View.
In 1868, the Milwaukee Iron Company opened a plant in the area, and Bay View was established as a company town. By 1879, Bay View had a population of 2,592, and incorporated as a village, on approx 1.4 sq mi (3.6 km2). of land.
By 1886, Bay View had become a center of workers' rights activism, the culmination of which was the Bay View Massacre.
In 1887, the village's approximately 4,000 residents voted overwhelmingly to be annexed to the city of Milwaukee, becoming the city's 17th ward and ending the community's independent identity. Thenceforth, the village has been a Milwaukee neighborhood. The Bay View Compass features a monthly column called "Historic Bay View."
Although the neighborhood boundaries of Bay View have grown over the years as more and more people identify with it, the specific boundaries given by the Milwaukee Neighborhood Identification Project are: along the border of Lake Michigan, south of Jones Island, from Lincoln Avenue to the north and Howell Avenue to the west, south to Morgan Avenue. Many residents consider both Fernwood and portions of Tippecanoe neighborhoods as parts of Bay View. Some sources list the southern boundary as Howard Avenue. The Bay View Historical Society includes the areas as far west as 6th Street, and north to Becher Street; although they admit that this is debated:[3]
“One thing most Bay Viewites will agree upon is that Bay View is not necessarily defined by precise boundaries; it is more a state of mind influenced by both Lake Michigan ("the lake") and a long history of a strong sense of community”.
Within Bay View’s borders is South Shore Park, part of the Milwaukee County Park System. South Shore Park features the Oak Leaf Trail, a softball diamond, horseshoe and volleyball courts, and a pavilion overlooking the swimming beach and the marina at the South Shore Yacht Club.
Humboldt Park, one of the first parks in the city, opened in 1891 and features fishing, softball, tennis, a band shell, and ice skating and hockey on the lagoons during Winter.
The Beulah Brinton Community Center offers a variety of youth, adult, and senior activities including volleyball, aerobics, yoga, toddler play groups, and senior lunch programs.
Some of Bay View's community organizations include the Bay View Lions Club, the Bay View Historical Society, Bay View Neighborhood Association, Bay View Garden and Yard Society, Bay View Social, and the Bay View Arts Guild.
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