Historic Preservation Battle Looms Over Three Homes Near Courthouse

N. 9th Street Homes owned by the Capuchins. Photo taken Nov. 4, 2026 by Jeramey Jannene. For the second time in as many years, the Historic Preservation Commission could block a social service organization from demolishing a building for a new facility. In 2025, the commission granted historic protection to the Central City Plaza buildings, the first and only Black-designed, developed and owned commercial complex in Wisconsin. It was a decision ultimately supported by The Salvation Army of Milwaukee County, but only after initial tension. About a mile to the south, a similar situation is brewing between the commission and Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph. In October, Chris Rute applied for an expanded historic designation for St. Benedict the Moor Roman Catholic Church, 930 W. State St., to include the three neighboring homes on N. 9th Street that are also owned by the Capuchins. In addition to their longstanding role in St. Benedict’s social-service mission, the three house