About
Vision
The Eastmorland Community Center was collaboratively formed to serve as a community hub for life-affirming arts, education, and social justice work. A central place for community organizations to meet and do life-enriching activity is a much needed resource for our neighborhood.
We are situated in an intergenerational neighborhood where people walk, bike and take public transportation, and have moved here to be able to do so. Our neighbors are interested in getting involved in making their neighborhood a vibrant, healthy place to live.
History
Lakeview Moravian Community Church, the original resident of 3565 Tulane Ave, has contributed its most valuable assets – the building and property – as safe space for programs that enrich the lives of neighborhood residents in varied and significant ways. The church, which has resided on this property since Spring of 1954, has always prioritized partnerships with the Eastmorland Community Association, the public schools and other community organizations to help bring neighbors together to do good work in our community.
In 2016, shortly after Lakeview made the decision to actively throw open their doors to partnerships that would enrich the neighborhood, El Jardín Infantil Preschool called looking for a location to call home. The supportive community that formed on the Triangle has made it possible for them to bring a high-quality, affordable, bilingual preschool experience to the Eastmorland Neighborhood.
Zion Lutheran Church was established in 1890 and was located four blocks from the capitol square. In the mid 1920’s the church physically moved to Linden Avenue on the “far east side” of Madison with the intention of living with and serving the community with the neighbors. Zion worshiped in its original building that was brought from the capitol square until 1968 when a new church building was established. In 2016 Zion’s community made a difficult but faithful decision that church is about the people and the community. This created a new sense of freedom for Zion. After selling its building, in 2021 Zion joined with Lakeview Moravian to form Common Grace, one of the cornerstones of the Eastmorland Community Center.
In 2021, Ethical Trading Company, a volunteer-run non-profit that works to end human trafficking through the sale of fair trade goods, set up shop at 3565 Tulane Ave, rounding out our in-residence organizations.
Preparing for the Future
In service of our mission we are exploring plans to redevelop the triangle to include a new community center and affordable housing. Watch this space for details as plans come into focus.
