Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church
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Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church
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| Location | 605 S. 4th St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
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| NRHP reference No. | 72000062 |
| Added to NRHP | November 7, 1972 |
The Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church is a very old and special church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was built way back in 1850. This makes it one of the oldest church buildings still standing in the city today! It looks almost exactly as it did when it was first built. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. This means it's an important building to protect.
Contents
History of Holy Trinity Church
Early Days in Walker's Point
The area where the church stands is called Walker's Point. It was settled in the 1830s. Many of the first people to live there were German-speaking Catholics. They came from places like southern Germany and Austria.
In the late 1840s, a priest named Father Salzmann helped these German-speaking families. He gathered them to form the Holy Trinity parish. This was a new church community for them.
Designing the Church Building
A German architect named Victor Schulte designed the main part of Holy Trinity Church. He also designed another church in Milwaukee, St. Mary's. The church has strong brick walls. Over time, these bricks have turned a soft gray color.
The walls have special flat columns called pilasters. Each section of the wall has a large, round-topped window in the middle. The roof is mostly hidden behind a brick wall at the top, called a parapet.
The church's style is called Zopfstil. This was a popular German design style. It is similar to the American Federal style. When it was first built, the church did not have a tall steeple.
Inside the Church
When you enter the church, there are three front doors. These lead into a small entrance area. Beyond that is the main part of the church, called the nave. This is where the pews (church benches) are. They are set up along a middle aisle.
The aisle leads to a rounded area at the front called the chancel. This is where the altar is. The church was officially opened on September 22, 1850. It was dedicated by John Henni, who was the first Archbishop of Milwaukee.
Adding the Steeple and Renovations
The tall steeple you see today was added later, in 1862. It was designed by Leonard A. Schmidtner, another German-trained architect. The steeple has an eight-sided tower that rises from the front of the church.
Above that, there's a smaller eight-sided section. Then comes a very tall spire with four windows. A cross sits high on top of the spire.
The inside of the church was updated in 1863. A clock was put into the tower in 1869. More changes were made inside in 1874. A large pipe organ was installed in 1878. The beautiful wooden altarpieces were added in 1890. They were made by Aegidius Hackner from La Crosse.
Changes in the Community
Over many years, the neighborhood around Holy Trinity Church changed. Fewer German families lived there. More people from Puerto Rico and Mexico moved into the area. In the 1960s, Holy Trinity's church community joined with Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.
Even with these changes, the church building itself looks much like it did in the 1800s. It is a very important part of the Walker's Point Historic District.
