About this property
St. James' Episcopal Church is a Gothic Revival-styled Episcopal church built in 1867 - once a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee. In 1979 the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today it is probably the oldest stone church remaining in Milwaukee. St. James parish was founded in 1850 as a mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. In 1851 the congregation bought the land where today's church stands, which had been the site of Kilbourntown's Spring Street Burying Ground - the first cemetery on the west side of what would become Milwaukee. Many of the early settlers were Yankees, and many prominent people were members, with the first Episcopal service held in Increase Lapham's store, and Alexander Mitchell serving on the parish's building committee. In 1867 the congregation built the stone church of today. It was designed by Gordon William Lloyd of Detroit in an English Gothic Revival style. The main block was built first, in 1867–68, with walls of Wauwautosa limestone, tall lancet openings, and clerestory windows above the side aisles. The square corner tower was added in 1870 to 1871, with corner buttresses and a wheel window that match those on the main block, and a tall broach spire topped with a cross. A fire on December 31, 1872, destroyed the buildings interior, leaving only the walls and bell tower. The church reopened on April 19, 1874. In 1899 a parish house was added, designed by John Moller. The church is adjacent to the Saint James Court Apartments and across from the Central Library. Both sites are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Over the years, the congregation dwindled until the church held its final service on November 1, 2017 and was sold. In 2020 it reopened as a venue for weddings and other events.
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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.
Everything a full report reveals about St. James Episcopal Church
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Questions about this property
When was St. James Episcopal Church listed on the National Register?
St. James Episcopal Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 1979.
What type of historic resource is St. James Episcopal Church?
St. James Episcopal Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for St. James Episcopal Church?
The period of significance for St. James Episcopal Church is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1867.
Can I research the history near St. James Episcopal Church?
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 St. James Episcopal Church will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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