St. Joseph's Chapel (Eau Claire, Wisconsin) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Joseph's Chapel
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| Location | Omaha St. Eau Claire, Wisconsin |
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| Built | 1896 |
| Architect | Joseph Bemish |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 87002436 |
| Added to NRHP | January 14, 1988 |
St. Joseph's Chapel is a beautiful old building found in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. This chapel was once used by the German Catholic community of Sacred Heart Parish. It was built in 1896 by a church member named Joseph Bemish. The chapel has a special Gothic Revival design. Because of its important design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Contents
History of St. Joseph's Chapel
The Sacred Heart Parish was a Catholic group in Eau Claire that spoke German. They formed in 1875, separating from St. Patrick's Church. Joseph Bemish, who was part of the parish, built St. Joseph's Chapel in the church cemetery in 1896.
Why Was the Chapel Built?
The cornerstone of the chapel had "St. Joseph's Kapelle 1896" written on it. This means "St. Joseph's Chapel 1896" in German. Rev. John Metzler, who was the pastor at Sacred Heart church, asked for the chapel to be built. He wanted it to honor their previous pastor, Rev. Joseph Boehm, who had passed away in 1893.
Chapel Dedication and Use
The chapel was officially opened in June 1897. During a special ceremony, Rev. Boehm's remains were moved and placed in a vault inside the chapel. Bishop James Schwebach led these important events. Other pastors, Rev. Paul Geyer and Rev. John Metzler, were also buried in the vault at different times.
The chapel was used for church services sometimes until November 1943. Later, Rev. John Peltz had the bodies removed from the vault and reburied in the cemetery. For many years, the chapel was not used for services and became a storage place for cemetery tools.
Renovating the Chapel
In 1982, the church community decided to fix up the chapel. Rev. Peter Eiden guided this renovation project. Thanks to their efforts, the chapel was restored and looked much better.
Architecture of the Chapel
St. Joseph's Chapel is a single-room building made of red brick. It features a Gothic Revival style, which was popular for churches. This style often includes pointed arches and tall, decorative elements.
Key Design Features
A tall tower stands above the main entrance of the chapel. This tower has arched openings on each side and a cross at its very top. On either side of the entrance, and along the building's sides, you can see arched stained glass windows. These windows are made of colored glass, creating beautiful patterns when light shines through.
Above the entrance door, there is a transom window that matches the arched shape of the other windows. Even higher up, above this transom arch, there is a special quatrefoil stained glass window. A quatrefoil is a design shaped like a four-leaf clover. Inside the chapel, there is a carved wooden relief at the altar, which is a type of sculpture. The ceiling inside is also hand-painted, adding to the chapel's unique beauty.
