Thomas A. Greene Memorial Museum
Encyclopedia
Thomas A. Greene Memorial Museum, also known as Greene Geological Museum or Greene Museum, is a mineral
and fossil
museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
administered by the Department of Geosciences at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. The current curator is Dr. Stephen Q. Dornbos, a paleontologist and Associate Professor of Geosciences at UWM.
The original fireproof museum building, designed by noted Milwaukee architect, Alexander Eschweiler, held the collection of Thomas A. Greene
, an amateur geologist
. In 1913, Greene's heirs, Mrs. H.A.J. Upham and Mr. Howard Greene, had the facility built to house his collection, and it was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1993. The collection has been removed from the building, and is now displayed and housed in Lapham Hall on the UWM campus.
Greene amassed most of the fossils in his collection, totaling about 75,000 specimens, during the 1880’s and 1890’s. The majority of these specimens come from the Silurian Niagara Formation and the Devonian Hamilton Formation in the vicinity of southeastern Wisconsin. Preserved mostly as internal molds in dolomite, these fossils include a wide range of Silurian marine invertebrate groups including trilobites, crinoids, tabulate and rugose corals, brachiopods, cephalopods, and gastropods. Devonian fossils consist mainly of fish and plant remains. All of these fossils were collected from quarry outcrops that no longer exist, making the collection irreplaceable.
The mineral collection contains a wide range of minerals and ores from localities throughout North America, as well as some from overseas. It includes exquisite examples of amethyst, apatite, stibnite, copper, tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, cobalt, nickel, mercury compounds, aluminum compounds, malachite, lapis-lazuli, tourmaline, garnet, labradorite, fluorite, beryl, and turquoise, among others. Perhaps the highlight of the mineral collection is a piece of iron meteorite that landed in nearby Washington County, Wisconsin. It was given to Greene by the scientist Increase A. Lapham, the namesake of Lapham Hall.
Greene collaborated with another amateur, Dr. Fisk Holbrook Day
, whose home in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
, the Dr. Fisk Holbrook Day House
, has also been designated a National Historic Landmark.
The building is to be renovated and will be used as academic space for UWM's Sam and Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies beginning in 2011.
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
and fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
administered by the Department of Geosciences at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. The current curator is Dr. Stephen Q. Dornbos, a paleontologist and Associate Professor of Geosciences at UWM.
The original fireproof museum building, designed by noted Milwaukee architect, Alexander Eschweiler, held the collection of Thomas A. Greene
Thomas A. Greene
For the Louisiana former state senator, see Tom Greene .Thomas A. Greene was an amateur geologist in Wisconsin. He was born in Rhode Island in 1827, and became successful in the retail drug industry in Milwaukee. He collected minerals and Devonian and Silurian fossils. He died in 1894 and his...
, an amateur geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
. In 1913, Greene's heirs, Mrs. H.A.J. Upham and Mr. Howard Greene, had the facility built to house his collection, and it was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1993. The collection has been removed from the building, and is now displayed and housed in Lapham Hall on the UWM campus.
Greene amassed most of the fossils in his collection, totaling about 75,000 specimens, during the 1880’s and 1890’s. The majority of these specimens come from the Silurian Niagara Formation and the Devonian Hamilton Formation in the vicinity of southeastern Wisconsin. Preserved mostly as internal molds in dolomite, these fossils include a wide range of Silurian marine invertebrate groups including trilobites, crinoids, tabulate and rugose corals, brachiopods, cephalopods, and gastropods. Devonian fossils consist mainly of fish and plant remains. All of these fossils were collected from quarry outcrops that no longer exist, making the collection irreplaceable.
The mineral collection contains a wide range of minerals and ores from localities throughout North America, as well as some from overseas. It includes exquisite examples of amethyst, apatite, stibnite, copper, tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium, cobalt, nickel, mercury compounds, aluminum compounds, malachite, lapis-lazuli, tourmaline, garnet, labradorite, fluorite, beryl, and turquoise, among others. Perhaps the highlight of the mineral collection is a piece of iron meteorite that landed in nearby Washington County, Wisconsin. It was given to Greene by the scientist Increase A. Lapham, the namesake of Lapham Hall.
Greene collaborated with another amateur, Dr. Fisk Holbrook Day
Fisk Holbrook Day
Fisk Holbrook Day was a physician and an amateur geologist in Wisconsin who developed an impressive collection of Silurian-age fossils. The collection is now at Harvard University....
, whose home in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Wauwatosa is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States, and was incorporated on May 27, 1897. As of the 2006 census estimate, the city's population was 44,798. Wauwatosa is located immediately west of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is a part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area...
, the Dr. Fisk Holbrook Day House
Dr. Fisk Holbrook Day House
Dr. Fisk Holbrook Day House, also known as Sunnyhill Home,is an interesting house on its own, that is further significant for its association with geologist Fisk Holbrook Day.It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1997....
, has also been designated a National Historic Landmark.
The building is to be renovated and will be used as academic space for UWM's Sam and Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies beginning in 2011.