St. Patrick's Church (Eau Claire, Wisconsin) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Patrick's Church
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| Location | 322 Fulton St. Eau Claire, Wisconsin |
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| Built | 1885 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival/Romanesque Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 83003392 |
| Added to NRHP | January 28, 1983 |
St. Patrick's Church is a very old and important Catholic church located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It was built a long time ago, in 1885. This church is special because of its beautiful design and history. In 1983, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as a significant building in American history and architecture.
Contents
The Church's Early History
The St. Patrick's church community, also called a parish, started in the 1850s. Missionaries, who are people sent to spread their faith, came from Chippewa Falls to help set it up.
First Buildings and Growth
- In 1858, the community built its first church. It was made of wood and located on N. Barstow Street.
- A school was added for the children of the parish in 1870.
- In 1875, some families who spoke German decided to form their own church. They created Sacred Heart Church.
- St. Patrick's bought the land where the church stands today in 1880. This spot is at the corner of Fulton and Oxford streets.
- A new church building was finished and dedicated in 1882. However, this building sadly burned down in 1884. This happened before they could even finish putting bricks on the outside.
Building the Current Church
After the fire, the community quickly rebuilt. The church you see today was constructed in 1885 on the very same spot.
Who Designed the Church?
The current church was designed by an architect named Abraham M. Radcliffe. He created a brick building with a sloped roof, called a gable roof. The front of the church has three matching doors.
Special Features of the Design
- Above the doors, there is a window and special spaces in the wall. These spaces hold statues.
- On each side of the front doors, there is a tall, square tower. The tower on the right has four levels, and the one on the left has three.
- The towers and the side walls have strong supports called buttresses. These help hold the walls up.
- Radcliffe mixed different styles in his design. The narrow, pointed windows, known as lancet windows, look like the Gothic Revival style. But some of the round arches remind people of the Romanesque Revival style.
- An old picture shows that the right tower used to be much taller. It had a steeple, which is a tall, pointed structure, that was much higher than the tower today.
- Edward Henneberry and Cornelius Webster were in charge of the stonework. Henneberry also oversaw the woodwork inside the church.
An Important Landmark
St. Patrick's Church was built when log drives were very popular on the Chippewa River. Log drives were when cut trees were floated down the river to sawmills. This church is the oldest church building still standing in Eau Claire today.
