Scattered across Milwaukee are school buildings that shine like gems, once you look past the chalk dust and grime for ornamental friezes, murals and solid architectural bones in shapes from Romanesque Revival and Queen Anne to Art Deco. Robert Tanzilo gives an endearing, personal account of some of the best of these buildings with their fairy-tale terra-cotta tiles and stunning woodwork. While some of MPS’s historic structures have fallen to the wrecking crew, Tanzilo reports the average age of an MPS school as 66 years, with 64 buildings completed before 1930. It’s an architectural legacy that must be balanced with the needs of education in the 21st century, the author acknowledges. (David Luhrssen)
Robert Tanzilo will appear 7 p.m. Nov. 12 at Boswell Book Co.
