National Register of Historic Places

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Listed
December 27, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74000110

About this property

St. Paul's Episcopal Church is a Richardsonian Romanesque-styled church built in 1882 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee. Noted for its Tiffany windows, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a designated Milwaukee Landmark. Founded in 1838, St. Paul's parish is the oldest Episcopal parish in Milwaukee and the third established in Wisconsin. It is located in the wealthy downtown east neighborhood of Juneautown. Members included many prominent citizens of the time, which helped the church to become the most influential Episcopal congregation in the state. The building was designed by local architect Edward Townsend Mix in Romanesque Revival/Richardsonian Romanesque style and built in 1884 using Lake Superior Sandstone, a dark red sandstone found near the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. It features wrought iron by Master Blacksmith Cyril Colnik. St. Paul's Church also has the largest collection of Tiffany stained glass windows in the state. This includes the largest window ever made by Tiffany Studios of New York City. Spanning 30 feet long, 24 feet high and up to two inches thick, it is a copy of Gustave Doré's masterpiece "Christ Leaving the Praetorium." It is believed that the building closely resembles one which was designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose plans were published in the Architectural Sketch Book in 1873, but never built. A committee appointed by the church established Forest Home Cemetery on Milwaukee's south side, the final resting place of many of the city's famed beer barons and social elite. When the land was selected it was located nearly two miles outside of the city limits. At the time this was believed to be far enough from urban development to remain rural. It was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1969 and was designated a Milwaukee Landmark in 1972. Richard Thieme, priest at St. Paul's who went on to become an author and technology consultant.

Location

904 E. Knapp St.
Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
43.04717, -87.90078

Categories

ARTARCHITECTURE
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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Knapp-Astor House
Industrial
0 mi
Astor on the Lake
Industrial
0.1 mi
Cass-Juneau Street Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
All Saints' Episcopal Cathedral Complex
Industrial
0.1 mi
First Unitarian Church
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was St. Paul's Episcopal Church listed on the National Register?

St. Paul's Episcopal Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 27, 1974.

What type of historic resource is St. Paul's Episcopal Church?

St. Paul's Episcopal Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for St. Paul's Episcopal Church?

The period of significance for St. Paul's Episcopal Church is recorded as the industrial era.

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