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Waukesha, Waukesha County WI. - The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Saint Mary’s Catholic Church Complex in the National Register of Historic Places on November 3, 2022.

The St. Mary’s Catholic Church Complex is a high-style representation of the Mid-Century Modern style for religious architecture. The complex consists of a 1953 school and convent for the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity who taught the students, a rectory and convent addition in 1960, and the church erected in 1964. 

The school and convent’s modern design is representative of institutional architecture through clean horizontal lines and window bands. The 1960s Contemporary church architecture exhibits Lannon stone and stain glass with a soaring overhanging roofline that shelters the faceted and mosaic glass designed by artist and craftsman Conrad Pickel. Other stain glass windows located in the interior were designed by Donald Camplian, who worked in Pickel’s studio, and the interior statuary were either made in Germany or carved by artisan William Thalmayer, a St. Mary’s parishioner.

Additional information for the Saint Mary’s Catholic Church Complex is available at:

https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR2740

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: https://wisconsinhistory.org/hp/register/

About the Wisconsin Historical Society

The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.