WAUWATOSA, Wis. — The Wisconsin Historical Society has just announced that the Wauwatosa Cemetery Chapel has been added to the State Register of Historical Places.
The State Register is Wisconsin's official list of state properties determined to be significant to Wisconsin's heritage.
The Wauwatosa Cemetery Chapel was built in 1852-1853 as the First Baptist Church.
In 1905 it became an armory and a meeting hall for the Wauwatosa Light Guard.
In 1914 it was again re-used when it was moved to Wauwatosa Cemetery and converted into a funeral chapel.
According to a news release, the Wauwatosa Cemetery Chapel is also important for its funerary use, which reflects American burial customs popular in Wisconsin throughout the early twentieth century. The main floor served as a non-denominational chapel for services, while the lower level includes the original six casket storage vaults as well as office space for the caretaker of the cemetery.
The building was used for funerals until roughly 1951. The Cemetery Association is currently planning a restoration.
