Church of the Living God, 3649 N. Teutonia Ave., Milwaukee. Built in 1968 as Robinson’s second church commission. At Church of the Living God, Robinson established a typology that he would repeat for several other religious congregations. Photo by author.
Alonzo Robinson, Jr., (1923–2000) was the first registered Black architect in Wisconsin. With a career spanning four decades, Robinson brought a contextual Modernist sensibility to his commissions in Milwaukee and its surrounding suburbs. He worked both in the public sector, designing municipal, recreation, and social services buildings; and in private practice, designing churches, beauty salons, offices, and supermarkets primarily for a Black clientele. Although often overlooked as individual buildings, this collective network of private sector commissions forms Robinson’s greatest legacy of helping to build a resilient infrastructure that sustained and empowered Milwaukee’s African American community.
Robinson’s architectural legacy remained largely unrecognized after his death but has seen a renewed interest in recent years thanks to efforts of local historic preservation groups and the architect’s own family. In 2023, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee undertook the first comprehensive study of Robinson’s work, compiling a catalog of projects from interviews, oral histories, newspaper archives, and historic building permits. The resulting study report has served as a catalyst for other projects, including a recent historic landmark designation for Robinson’s most significant private sector commission.
During the talk, architectural historian Justin Miller will discuss the life and career of Alonzo Robinson, Jr. along with ongoing efforts to share the story of this remarkable and pioneering architect.
UW-Milwaukee’s study was supported by a grant from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a program of the National Trust for Historic Places.
Alonzo Robinson, Jr. (1923–2000). Photo courtesy of Robinson family.
Central City Plaza, 600 W. Walnut St., Milwaukee. Completed in 1973, Central City Plaza was a mixed-use urban shopping center. At its opening, the project was Wisconsin’s first Black-developed, Black-owned, and Black-operated mixed use commercial development. Central City Plaza received Milwaukee Historic Designation in 2025 thanks to efforts from local preservation advocates, the Robinson family, and the Salvation Army, one of the site’s current owners. Photo by Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission staff.
Mahalia Jackson’s Chicken System, 2001 W. Atkinson Ave., Milwaukee. Built in 1970 as Wisconsin’s only location of a nationwide franchise of fried chicken restaurants founded by the legendary gospel singer. Robinson served as architect of record for the Milwaukee restaurant; the prototype design was created by prominent Black architect (and Robinson’s Howard University classmate) William DeBerry McKissack. Photo by author.
Kosciuszko Park Pavilion, 2201 S. 7th St., Milwaukee. Built in 1980 as the centerpiece of a historic park on Milwaukee’s south side. Photo by author.
Apartment Building, 4701 N. 52nd St., Milwaukee. Designed in 1962 for Marvin Tuchman, a Jewish Holocaust survivor who settled in Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood following World War II. Image courtesy of Milwaukee City Records Center.
