National Register of Historic Places

Church of St. Thomas the Apostle

Beloit, Rock County, Wisconsin
Listed
January 7, 1983
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
83003413

About this property

Church of St. Thomas the Apostle is a historic church at 822 E. Grand Avenue in Beloit, Wisconsin, United States. It was built in 1885 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. St. Thomas is the oldest Catholic parish in Beloit, with roots going back to 1846, when the parishioners were largely Irish immigrants worshiping in the home of Captain Thomas and Lucy Power, where City Hall now stands. In 1854 the parish built a stone church, in which they worshiped for thirty years until it burned in 1884. Reverend J.W. Ward set right to work raising funds for a new building, partly by giving a series of temperance lectures. The new church was built from 1885 to 1886 on the site of the stone church. James J. Egan of Chicago designed a simply massed rectangular building with a gable roof and a square corner tower, with fine details. The walls are cream brick, with brick buttresses and stone trim. The porches are in Stick style, an unusual choice for a church like this. The windows are tall, with arches slightly pointed, a typical Gothic detail. A circle-within-the-arch motif repeats in many windows. Many buttresses lead up to little towers with gablets on top. The big corner tower has its own corner gablets, then a belfry with a rose window, then a spire reaching 150 feet, topped with a cross. Inside, the auditorium is 118 feet long and fifty-five feet wide, with an arcade of stained glass windows. Behind the altar is another large, elaborate stained glass window. The ceiling is supported by wooden trusses. The church was built by masons Marshall and Sweet, carpenters Cummingham Brothers, and stonecutter A.S. Jackson, all from Beloit.

Location

822 E. Grand Ave.
Beloit, Rock County, Wisconsin
42.49937, -89.02808

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Church of St. Thomas the Apostle

This page lists Church of St. Thomas the Apostle. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Church of St. Thomas the Apostle report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

First Congregational Church
Early Republic
0.2 mi
Rasey House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Rindfleisch Building
Industrial
0.3 mi
Hilton House Hotel
Industrial
0.3 mi
Near East Side Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Church of St. Thomas the Apostle listed on the National Register?

Church of St. Thomas the Apostle was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 7, 1983.

What type of historic resource is Church of St. Thomas the Apostle?

Church of St. Thomas the Apostle is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Church of St. Thomas the Apostle?

The period of significance for Church of St. Thomas the Apostle is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Church of St. Thomas the Apostle?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Church of St. Thomas the Apostle will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Rock County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Rock County.

Explore RockCounty ›

More historic places in Wisconsin

Browse all historic places in Wisconsin.

View Wisconsinhistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Wisconsin history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Wisconsinhistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Church of St. Thomas the Apostle will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report