National Register of Historic Places

Second Church of Christ Scientist

Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Listed
January 16, 1986
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
86000139

About this property

The St. Luke Emanuel Missionary Baptist Church, formally Second Church of Christ, Scientist, is a historic Neoclassical-styled church built in 1913 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It was in 1866 that Mary Baker Eddy slipped on the ice and hurt her back, then experienced a remarkable recovery without medical help, which prompted her ideas of metaphysical healing. In 1876 she established the first Christian Scientist Association in Lynn, Massachusetts. In 1879 she established the Mother Church in Boston. In 1884 a Christian Science Association was established in Milwaukee, the first such association outside Massachusetts. After years of renames, splits, mergers, and moves, in 1909 one of the spinoff congregations incorporated as Second Church of Christ, Scientist, Milwaukee. They initially met at Plankinton Hall of the Milwaukee Auditorium, but in 1914 moved to their new church, the subject of this article. Architect Carl Barkhausen of Milwaukee somewhat modeled the 1914 church on the Pantheon in Rome, which was built 2000 years ago. The front entrance is through a two-story portico with six fluted Corinthian columns supporting a pediment in which the tympanum is decorated with terra cotta. Inside the portico is a vestibule, and behind that the main auditorium. That auditorium has a pulpit and organ in an apse in the wall, with pews circled around, seating 1,450 people. The roof of the auditorium is a low dome topped with a copper roof lantern. The Christian Science Association that built the church eventually declined, and the building was occupied by St. Luke Emanuel Missionary Baptist Church.

Location

2722 W. Highland Blvd.
Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
43.04516, -87.94851

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 Second Church of Christ Scientist

This page lists Second Church of Christ Scientist. 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 Second Church of Christ Scientist report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Highland Boulevard Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
McKinley Boulevard Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
Kalvelage, Joseph B., House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Concordia Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
Howie, David W., House
Industrial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Second Church of Christ Scientist listed on the National Register?

Second Church of Christ Scientist was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 16, 1986.

What type of historic resource is Second Church of Christ Scientist?

Second Church of Christ Scientist is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Second Church of Christ Scientist?

The period of significance for Second Church of Christ Scientist is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Second Church of Christ Scientist?

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 Second Church of Christ Scientist will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Milwaukee County

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

Explore MilwaukeeCounty ›

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 Second Church of Christ Scientist will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report