Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
St. Boniface Catholic Church
| | March on, Milwaukee | |
Photographed by Greta Schassler, December 16, 2023
1. St. Boniface Catholic Church Marker
St. Boniface and its campus at 1122 W. Clarke Street were the epicenter of Milwaukees civil rights movement. A Catholic church with a predominantly Black congregation, St. Boniface served as a hub during the 200 consecutive days of open housing marches from fall 1967 to spring 1968. Strategies and routes for marches were organized in the churchs basement by the NAACP Youth Council Commandos Direct Action Committee. Marches started and ended at the church. St. Boniface supplied food, lodging, medical attention, and transportation to the movement.
Father James Groppi served at St. Boniface from 1963 to 1970 and advised the Youth Council during this period. In 1965, St. Boniface was slated to be the site of a Freedom School offering lessons on Black history and activism. This plan was prohibited by Catholic officials, leading to protests by the Youth Council and its allies. Luminaries from the nationwide civil rights movement, including Fannie Lou Hamer, Hosea Williams, Jesse Jackson, Dick Gregory, and Roy Wilkins, visited St. Boniface to attend rallies, marches, and strategy sessions. The St. Boniface complex was demolished in 1975 to make room for expansions to North Division High School. The parish moved to N. Teutonia Avenue and W. Center Street. The history of St. Boniface illustrates the importance of local churches
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Erected 2023 by Wisconsin Historical Society; funded by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation. (Marker Number 609.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Civil Rights • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Wisconsin Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1967.
Location. 43° 3.952′ N, 87° 55.536′ W. Marker is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in Milwaukee County. It is on West Clarke Street. The marker is located along West Clarke Street, in front of North Division High School. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1011 W Center St, Milwaukee WI 53206, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Wisconsin. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Rally at Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); 5th Street Freedom House (approx. 0.7 miles away); Borchert Field / The Milwaukee Bears (approx. Ύ mile away); Stop on the Underground Railroad (approx. 0.8 miles away); Milwaukee Chinese Laundry Era (approx. 0.9 miles away); Golda Meir 1898 - 1978 (approx. 1.1 miles away);
Photographed by Fitzie Heimdahl, February 20, 2024
2. St. Boniface Catholic Church Marker Reverse
Photographed by Fitzie Heimdahl
3. St. Boniface Catholic Church Marker
Photographed by Fitzie Heimdahl
4. St. Boniface Catholic Church Marker in profile
Photographed by Devon Polzar, May 1, 2024
5. Marker photo
Image Courtesy Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Credits. This page was last revised on May 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 7, 2023, by Fitzie Heimdahl of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,884 times since then and 106 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 18, 2023, by Greta Schassler of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 2. submitted on April 4, 2024, by Fitzie Heimdahl of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 3, 4. submitted on November 7, 2023, by Fitzie Heimdahl of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 5. submitted on August 12, 2024, by Devon Polzar of Port Washington, Wisconsin. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
