Painesville Chapel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Painesville Chapel
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Painesville Chapel
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| Location | 2740 W. Ryan Rd. Franklin, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin |
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| Architect | Henry Roethe |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000039 |
| Added to NRHP | November 7, 1977 |
The Painesville Chapel is an old meeting hall in Franklin, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. German immigrants called "Freethinkers" built it in 1852. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. This means it's a special building protected for its history.
Contents
The Freethinkers' Story
In the 1830s and 1840s, many people from Germany settled near Franklin. They were mostly from a town called Wittenberg. These settlers went to St. John's Lutheran church in Oak Creek.
A New Way of Thinking
In 1851, a disagreement happened at the church. Some members wanted more freedom in their beliefs. They decided to form a new group. This group was called a Freie Gemeinde, or "Free Congregation."
Their main ideas were:
- The group should be independent.
- Each person should be free to think for themselves.
This new group did not follow a strict set of beliefs. Its members included Christians, agnostics, and atheists. This was similar to groups forming in Germany at that time. The Franklin Free Congregation started with 35 members. They first met in a small log school building. This was the first of about 30 such Free Congregations in Wisconsin.
Building the Chapel
In 1851, the congregation hired Henry Roethe, a carpenter. He built the simple chapel you see today. It is a one-story building with clapboard siding.
Chapel Design and Features
The chapel was first built on four large fieldstones. Its style is simple Greek Revival. This means it looks a bit like old Greek temples. It has special corners on the roof called returns. There are also small pediments above the doors and windows.
Inside the chapel, you can still see the original wooden benches, the pulpit, and the stove. On the walls, there are portraits of famous thinkers. These include Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Humboldt, and Thomas Paine. These pictures were there even in 1876. The chapel is located in a one-acre cemetery. Many of the first members of the congregation are buried there.
How Painesville Chapel Got Its Name
When the congregation first formed, they called themselves "The First Free Christian Church of the town of Franklin and Oak Creek." However, many members admired Thomas Paine. He was an early writer who believed in free thought. Because of him, the meeting place soon became known as the "Painesville Chapel." It was also sometimes called the "Painesville Cemetery Chapel."
Later Years and Restoration
The first speaker, Pastor Carl Gustav Rausch, left in 1853. He later became a Lutheran pastor again. Robert Glatz, a former German priest, became the next speaker. After he died in 1856, Christian Schroeter took over. Schroeter was a German immigrant and farmer. He led the group for many years.
Decline and Renewal
In 1876, the congregation had 37 members. They held lectures every other Sunday morning. They also had a singing group and shared literature. After Schroeter passed away in 1890, the group became smaller. They stopped holding meetings in 1905. By 1935, the chapel was in poor condition. Its roof leaked, windows were broken, and birds nested inside.
In 1936, Alexander Guth studied the building for the Historic American Buildings Survey. He was very impressed. He wrote that the chapel was "one of the outstanding buildings." He felt it showed the "best spirit of the colonial type of architecture."
Guth's excitement inspired the families of the chapel's founders. They worked to restore the building. They added a basement and rebuilt the stone foundation. They also fixed the roof, siding, and windows. New front stairs and electricity were added. Other than these changes, they kept the building very much as it was built.
Today, the Painesville Memorial Association maintains the chapel. They also hold meetings there. Only one Freethinkers Society is still active in Wisconsin. It is the Freethinkers' Hall in Sauk City.
See also
In Spanish: Capilla Painesville para niños
