Milwaukee County Historical Society

Milwaukee County Historical Society

Kilbourn Avenue facade of the Milwaukee County Historical Society
Established	1935
Location	910 North Old World Third Street Milwaukee, WI 53202
Type	History Museum & Research Center
Director	Mame Croze McCully
Website	http://www.milwaukeehistory.net/

910 North Old World Third Street

The Milwaukee County Historical Society, also known as MCHS, is a local historical society in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Founded in 1935, the organization was formed to preserve, collect, recognize, and make available materials related to Milwaukee County history. It is located in downtown Milwaukee in the former Second Ward Savings Bank building.

MCHS houses the Harry H. Anderson Research Library and a museum. The library collects and preserves manuscripts, records, photographs, and family history information. The museum preserves three-dimensional artifacts related to Milwaukee County history, including paintings, ribbons, uniforms, flags, furniture, and china in a collection of over 20,000 items.

In addition to the main museum and research library, the MCHS owns three historic house museums and one historic site: the Lowell Damon House in Wauwatosa; the Kilbourntown House in Estabrook Park; and the Jeremiah Curtin House and Trimborn Farm in Greendale.

The Benjamin Church House (also known as Kilbourntown House), a wood and brick residence, was built during 1843–1844 by a pioneer carpenter of that name in Kilbourntown, a settlement on the west side of the Milwaukee River. In 1846, Kilbourntown merged with Juneautown on the east side of the river and Walker's Point to the south to create Milwaukee, today the largest city in Wisconsin.

The house, located on Fourth Street between West Cherry and West Galena Streets, was constructed in Greek Revival style architecture with four front columns and symmetry of floor plan. This style was also known as Greek temple or national style.

In the 1930s, the house was recognized as having historical value worthy of rescue, with local Cream City brick and hand-hewn timbers among its distinctive features. In 1972, the Benjamin Church House was added to the National Register of Historic Places.