This is a collection for Saint Casimir Roman Catholic Church, located in the Riverwest neighborhood in the city of Milwaukee on the corner of Clarke and Bremen streets. Founded in 1894, the church began as a place of worship for Polish Catholic immigrants due to the overcrowding issues with the Lower East Side's St. Hedwig Roman Catholic Church. Through the 20th century, the parish witnessed a decline in its Polish identity due to a decrease in immigration from Europe. The parish began to lose its vitality in the 1950s when federal home mortgage lending practices and the rise of automobile ownership contributed to an exodus of young families. Further, deindustrialization had caused many families financial challenges and had to search for new employment. In recent years due to a variety of internal and external issues, St. Casimir's now part of Our Lady of Divine Providence Parish since 2003, represents and connects a diverse Riverwest community.
To see St. Casimir's full history, click here.
Saint Casimir Roman Catholic Church and Our Lady of Divine Providence Parish
This place curated by Jonathan M. Bohrer, Martin J. Kozon, and Daniel D. McCollum
