National Register of Historic Places

St. Joseph's Catholic Church Complex

Waukesha, Waukesha County, Wisconsin
Listed
October 28, 1983
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
83004355

About this property

St. Joseph's Catholic Church Complex is located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The church building itself was built in 1888. On October 28, 1983, the complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance. St. Joseph's Parish was organized in 1842, the first Roman Catholic church in Waukesha. Solomon Juneau donated the first church building, which was a log cabin on the site of the current complex. In 1844 the parish built a stone church building, which has since served as a parish hall, school, and medical clinic. This 1844 building has been remodeled enough that it is not part of the NRHP nomination. In 1888 the parish began building a larger church building. Adolphus Druiding of Chicago designed it in High Victorian Gothic style, with its emphasis on the vertical. The exterior is rock-faced, randomly-coursed limestone, with multiple rose windows, lancet windows, and multiple gables and spires. Each gable is topped with a cross. The layout is asymmetric, with a large tower on one side of the main entrance, rising to a tall steeple topped with a cross. The Brown House is the other part of the complex that is part of the NRHP nomination. It was built around 1878, a two-story brick house with Greek Revival massing and Italianate details. It was originally the home of Martin Brown, a harness maker. The church later used the house as a convent. Both the church building and the Brown house were nominated to the NRHP for their architectural significance. They are some of the best surviving examples of their styles in Waukesha.

Location

818 N. East Ave.
Waukesha, Waukesha County, Wisconsin
43.01189, -88.22728

Categories

ARCHITECTURERELIGION
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 St. Joseph's Catholic Church Complex

This page lists St. Joseph's Catholic Church Complex. 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 St. Joseph's Catholic Church Complex report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Old Waukesha County Courthouse
Industrial
0 mi
St. Matthias Episcopal Church
Civil War
0.1 mi
James, Samuel D., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Sloan, William P., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Becker and Schafer Store Building
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was St. Joseph's Catholic Church Complex listed on the National Register?

St. Joseph's Catholic Church Complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 28, 1983.

What type of historic resource is St. Joseph's Catholic Church Complex?

St. Joseph's Catholic Church Complex is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for St. Joseph's Catholic Church Complex?

The period of significance for St. Joseph's Catholic Church Complex is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near St. Joseph's Catholic Church Complex?

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. Joseph's Catholic Church Complex will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Waukesha County

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

Explore WaukeshaCounty ›

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 St. Joseph's Catholic Church Complex will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report