MILWAUKEE – The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Carleton District #3 School in the National Register of Historic Places on July 18, 2025. The building was originally constructed in 1916 and expanded to its present appearance in 1941. It was originally constructed in the Town of Granville before it was annexed by the city of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County.
The Carleton District #3 School building is located at 4116 West Silver Spring Road. It received several additions and renovations including in 1932 by architect John Topzant, Richard H. Bierman in 1936, and Charles F. Smith in 1941. The building’s most significant renovations were completed in 1941 with WPA funds and labor.
The school stands as a notable example of Depression-era public grade school architecture, designed in the Art Deco style. Character-defining features include detailed brick patterns, vertical emphasis, low-relief limestone carvings, and pronounced use of glass block. Remnants of earlier additions also remain with “Minimal-Georgian-style” multi-light windows, Regency-style copper roofs, and shallow fluted pilasters. It is one of less than a dozen Milwaukee Public Schools to retain its original windows.
Additional information for the Carleton District #3 School Building is available at: https://wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR2832
To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: https://wisconsinhistory.org/hp/register/
About the Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
