As early as 1888 a sizable population of about four-hundred Italian immigrants had come to call Milwaukee's Third Ward home. By the turn of the century that number would nearly double. The Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Roman Catholic Church would become an important hub of this Italian-American neighborhood, reinforcing the community's ethnic identity and providing some of the resources that helped integrate immigrants into the city. Organized as a mission in 1898, the church was built in 1904 at 419 N. Jackson St. Known as the "Little Pink Church" because of its light colored brick, the church occupied this corner until 1967 when the city tore down the structure, along with much of the Third Ward's Italian community, to make way for the city's interchange. But the church's presence remains in Pompeii Park.
You can see the Blessed Virgin of Pompeii's full history here.
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Baptismal Pillow -
Sanborn Map of Third Ward -
Correspondence letter from Reverend Florian Girometta to Archbishop William E. Cousins May 22nd, 1959 -
Sounds of Pompeii -
Historical photograph of the partially destroyed Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Church. -
Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Gathering Place Report -
Early Photo of Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Church (Black and White)