Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church Complex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church Complex
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Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church Complex
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| Location | 2474 and 2490 N. Cramer St. 2479 and 2491 N. Murray Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
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| Built | 1889 |
| Architect | Henry Messmer |
| Architectural style | Romanesque/Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 91001392 |
| Added to NRHP | September 13, 1991 |
The Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church Complex is a group of historic buildings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This special place was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. It was recognized for its beautiful and important architecture.
Contents
A New Church for Milwaukee
The Saints Peter and Paul parish, which is like a local church community, started in 1889. At that time, many German immigrant families were moving to Milwaukee's east side. The church was created to serve this growing community.
The Right Reverend Leonard Batz, a leader in the Milwaukee church, helped start the parish. It began with 43 families. They first met in a temporary chapel while their main church building was being constructed nearby.
The Main Church Building
The main church building was designed by Henry Messmer, an architect from Milwaukee. He used a style called Romanesque Revival. This style often uses round arches and strong, solid shapes.
The church has a foundation made of rough-cut limestone. Above this are walls made of cream-colored bricks. The roof is shaped like a triangle, called a gable roof. At the front, there is a square tower right in the middle.
Church Tower Details
High up in the tower, you can see a round window called a rose window. Above that is a belfry, which is where the church bells are kept. The belfry is covered with decorative metal. The very top of the tower has a pointed roof made of slate, with a Latin cross on top.
In 1939, a brick entrance area called a narthex was added to the front. The sides of the church have round-arched windows with colorful stained-glass. At the back, there is a rounded section called an apse.
Inside the Church
The inside of the church, called the nave, still looks much like it did in the 1800s. It has its original oak pews, which are the long benches where people sit. The ceiling is a curved shape called a barrel vault, made of plaster. There is also an original, beautifully carved wooden screen behind the altar, known as a reredos. It is in a fancy style called Baroque.
The first stone for the church was laid in 1890. The church was officially opened in 1892.
Other Important Buildings
The church complex includes several other buildings that were important to the community.
The Convent
The convent was built in 1889, even before the main church. It is a two-and-a-half-story building. Herman Paul Schnetzky, another Milwaukee architect, designed it in a simpler Romanesque Revival style. This building was likely home to the nuns who worked with the church.
The Rectory (First School)
The building behind the church is now the rectory, where the priests live. But when it was built in 1890, it was actually the parish's first elementary school! Henry Messmer, who designed the church, also designed this building.
He used a different style for the school, called Neoclassical style. This style often looks like ancient Greek or Roman buildings. It has a rough-cut limestone foundation and cream brick walls, with a hip roof (a roof that slopes on all four sides). Above the main entrance, there is a half-moon shaped window called a lunette. In 1912, this building was changed from a school into the rectory.
The Second Elementary School
A new elementary school was built in 1912. It is also two-and-a-half stories tall and designed in the Romanesque Revival style. Erhard Brielmaier and Sons designed it to match the older buildings, even though the style was a bit old-fashioned for 1912.
This school building has some decorations that look like Gothic-style. It also has a round window, called an oculus, in each gable (the triangular part of the wall under the roof). Inside, the rooms have wooden floors and plastered walls.
The Third Elementary School
In 1956, the parish added a third elementary school, which is three stories tall. This newer school building is not part of the National Register of Historic Places listing.
Why These Buildings Are Special
The Saints Peter and Paul complex is important because of its architecture. Each building has its own unique design. However, except for the 1956 school, they all use similar materials and fit together well from the same time period. These turn-of-the-century buildings are still in great condition, showing how they looked long ago.
