Wauwatosa Curling Club

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Wauwatosa Curling Club
The Wauwatosa Curling Club's barrel-vaulted laminated pine timber ceiling, Jan 2025
The Wauwatosa Curling Club's barrel-vaulted laminated pine timber ceiling, Jan 2025
Location7300 West Chestnut Street Wauwatosa, WI 53213
Information
Established1921
Club typeCurling, Dedicated Ice
USCA regionWisconsin State Curling Association
Sheets of iceFour
Rock colorsRed and Yellow   
Websitewww.wauwatosacurlingclub.com

The Wauwatosa Curling Club is a curling club in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin and was founded in 1921.[1]

History

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In 1920, the club's founding members built a shed and ice surface for two sheets of curling on Wauwatosa's Stickney Field[2] and remained at that location until moving the shed and club operations to Hart Park.[3] The club has been located in Wauwatosa's Hart Park since 1925 and moved into the park's Muellner Building in 1941[2] to curl on Milwaukee County's first indoor artificial ice.[4]

The Muellner Building in Hart Park and the club's ice rink was constructed in 1940 as part of The New Deal administered by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).[5] The building was granted a historic landmark status in 2012[6] and renovated in 2024 to restore its historic character from the 1940s.[2]

2024 Renovation and New Rink

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In 2024, the Muellner Building and club were renovated with architect Kahler Slater,[7] including the reveal and restoration of the icehouse's original barrel-vaulted laminated pine timber ceiling.[2] Funding for the $5 million project came from various sources including the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the City of Wauwatosa, the Wauwatosa Curling Club, and the Wauwatosa Tourism Commission.[2][8] The facility and club was re-opened in early 2025, and it is getting attention for Wauwatosa as a tourism destination.[9]

2025 Flood

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On August 9-11, 2025, severe storms produced record and near-record rainfall across the Milwaukee area, causing flash flooding along multiple rivers, including the Menomonee River that runs through Wauwatosa. Unofficial two-day totals exceeded 10 inches in parts of northwestern Milwaukee County, with some reports above 14 inches, prompting statewide and county emergency declarations and widespread water rescues.[10]

Wauwatosa sustained significant impacts. City officials reported that more than 500 homes and 50 businesses were affected, with an initial estimate of approximately $9 million in damage to city-owned public property, much of it at Hart Park where the club is located.[11]

The club’s lower level clubroom in the Muellner Building at Hart Park experienced extensive flooding. News footage and interviews with club leadership described the basement clubroom, including the lounge, kitchen, bar, and locker areas, as being filled to the ceiling with floodwater, rendering most contents a total loss. Power outages complicated initial assessment and cleanup.[12][13][14]

The spaces renovated in 2024 on the main and second levels of the Muellner Building, including the club's ice rink, sustained minor damage. Remediation in those areas was initiated immediately after the threat of the storm had passed.[13][15]

Local and state coverage characterized the event as historic for the region, with infrastructure and cultural organizations across Milwaukee County reporting major flood-related losses.[16]

Adaptive curling

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In addition to membership and bonspiel activities, the club holds regular adaptive curling sessions during the season and has played a role in growing the adaptive game with other clubs.[17] Regular adaptive curling participants include veterans groups such as the VA[18] and Milwaukee's Association of the United States Army (AUSA).[19] In more recent years, the club has also offered regular sessions to the Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired (BOLD).[20]

The Team USA Paralympic Wheelchair Curling Team offered a free clinic to adaptive curling participants at the club in 2019.[21]

Notable members and teams

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Longtime WCC member Pam Oleinik skipped Team USA to a bronze medal at the 2007 World Senior Curling Championships.[22]

In 2017, longtime WCC Member Greg Dunlop was awarded the second-ever Wisconsin State Curling Association Service Award.[23]

The WCC's junior members team of Michael Elwing, Trevor Marquardt (Poynette Curling Club), Connor Hipke, Ryan Elwing, and Tyler Hipke won the Wisconsin U18 Championship[24] and the U18 National Championship in 2017.[25]

In April 2024, Team Carlson (including club members Ryan Carlson, Joe Matel, Oscar Koebel, Aaron Morrill, and Andy Mentel) won a spot in the USA Curling Club National Championships.[26][27] Team Carlson earned their national bid by winning the 2024 Wisconsin title.[28]

Governance and affiliations

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Wauwatosa is a member of USA Curling,[29] the Wisconsin State Curling Association,[30] the United States Women's Curling Association,[31] and Move United.[32]

The club is run entirely by volunteers,[33] organized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and the club's operations are governed by a board of directors.[34]

References

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  1. ^ "Wauwatosa Curling Club celebrates 100 year history with bonspiel". spectrumnews1.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Urban spelunking: Renovating Hart Park's senior center and curling club". OnMilwaukee. July 24, 2024.
  3. ^ Historical Society, Wauwatosa (2004). Images of America Wauwatosa. Charleston SC, Chicago IL, Portsmouth NH, San Francisco CA: Arcadia Publishing. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-7385-3232-5.
  4. ^ Nickerson & Collins Company. 1941. Ice and Refrigeration Volume 100. Boulder, CO. University of Colorado Boulder.
  5. ^ "7300 W CHESTNUT ST | Property Record". Wisconsin Historical Society. 2012-01-01. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  6. ^ "Designated Properties | Wauwatosa, WI". www.wauwatosa.net. Archived from the original on 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  7. ^ "Wauwatosa Curling Club". Kahler Slater. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  8. ^ Ytuarte, Angelika. "Historic wooden ceiling revealed during renovation of the Muellner Building in Wauwatosa". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  9. ^ "This Midwestern City is an Underrated Destination for Active Travelers". AFAR Media. 2025-04-16. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  10. ^ "'What is happening?' Milwaukee area recovers from record rain and flooding". AP News. 2025-08-11. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  11. ^ Wisconsin, Rachel Ryan. "Over 500 homes, 50 businesses affected by floods in Wauwatosa, city says". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  12. ^ Burks, Rod (2025-08-15). "Wauwatosa Curling Club faces extensive flood damage, launches fundraising effort". TMJ4 News. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  13. ^ a b "Wauwatosa Curling Club assesses the damage to its Hart Park home". OnMilwaukee. 2025-08-14. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  14. ^ Wisconsin, Natalie Sopyla. "Wauwatosa residents, businesses continue cleanup after flooding". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  15. ^ Wisconsin, Rachel Ryan. "Over 500 homes, 50 businesses affected by floods in Wauwatosa, city says". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  16. ^ Holmes, Isiah (2025-08-14). "Milwaukee picking up the pieces as experts warn flooding could become more frequent • Wisconsin Examiner". Wisconsin Examiner. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  17. ^ "Milwaukee Curling Club expands accessibility with adaptive curling". TMJ4 News. November 13, 2024.
  18. ^ "Veterans hone skills through adaptive curling | VA Milwaukee health care". Veterans Affairs. January 25, 2023.
  19. ^ Casey, Evan. "Disabilities don't slow down these veterans, who are learning to curl at the Wauwatosa Curling Club". Journal Sentinel.
  20. ^ Grassnickle, Adam (2020-01-16). "Getting Out on the Ice: Adaptive Curling for People who are Blind or Visually Impaired". Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  21. ^ "'There are no limitations that we cannot accommodate:' Curling made easy in Wauwatosa". TMJ4 News. 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  22. ^ "Tournament details". results.worldcurling.org. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  23. ^ "WSC Service Award - Greg Dunlop - 1483228800 | Wisconsin State Curling Association". wi-curling.org. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  24. ^ "Wauwatosa (U18) | Wisconsin State Curling Association". wi-curling.org. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  25. ^ "U18 Past Champions". USA CURLING. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  26. ^ "A Tosa Curling Team is Going to the USA National Championships". Milwaukee Magazine. February 13, 2024.
  27. ^ "Wauwatosa Curling Club sends team to 2024 USA Club National Championships". CBS58. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  28. ^ "Wauwatosa | Wisconsin State Curling Association". wi-curling.org. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  29. ^ "Find a Club". USA CURLING. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  30. ^ "Wauwatosa Curling Club | Wisconsin State Curling Association". wi-curling.org. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  31. ^ "United States Women's Curling Association (USWCA) - Club Listing". www.uswca.org. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  32. ^ "Wauwatosa Curling Club". Move United. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  33. ^ "Wauwatosa Curling Club sends team to 2024 USA Club National Championships". CBS58. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  34. ^ "Tosa Curl Inc - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org.