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Property Location
| Location (Address) | 1100 ERIE ST |
|---|---|
| County | Racine |
| City/Village | Racine |
| Township | |
| Unincorporated community | |
| Town | |
| Range | |
| Direction | |
| Section | |
| Quarter Section | |
| Quarter Quarter Section |
Property Features
| Year Built | 1924 |
|---|---|
| Additions | |
| Survey Date | 1994 |
| Historic Use | house of worship |
| Architectural Style | Late Gothic Revival |
| Structural System | |
| Wall Material | Brick |
| Architect | Francis Barry Byrne And Ryan,Alphonso Iannelli |
| Other Buildings On Site | |
| Demolished | No |
| Demolished Date | |
| Additional Comments | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. F. BARRY BYRNE DESIGNED THIS CHURCH IN A UNIQUE MELANGE OF PRAIRIE SCHOOL AND ART DECO INFLUENCES. ITS UNUSUAL DESIGN IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY BYRNE'S WORK WITH FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT ON THE UNITY TEMPLE. THE BUILDING FEATURES SCULPTURES BY ALFONSO IANELLI, WHO ALSO WORKED WITH WRIGHT. RACINE LANDMARK. PLANS, PHOTOS AND SKETCHES OF THE CHURCH WERE EXIHIBITED AT THE ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS IN BERLIN. IT WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN VERY INFLUENTIAL. RELATED BUILDING: RECTORY. FRANCIS BARRY BYRNE EARNED AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION FOR HIS REVOLUTIONARY DESIGNS OF CATHOLIC CHURCHES. HE BEGAN HIS ARCHITECTURAL WORK IN FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S OAK PARK STUDIO IN 1902, AND HE REMAINED THERE UNTIL 1908, WHEN HE LEFT TO ESTABLISH HIS OWN PRACTICE. ST PATRICK'S WAS ONLY THE SECOND CHURCH DESIGNED BY BYRNE. With stylized lancets, soaring buttresses, and dramatic pinnacles, this striking hilltop church won popular accolades for its “American Gothic” design. But the term, stressing historical precedent, fails to capture Barry Byrne’s innovative architectural vision. Based in Chicago, Byrne was one of the most idiosyncratic practitioners of modernism. He apprenticed to Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 1900s, but his mature designs are based on principles learned from Louis Sullivan. Like Sullivan, Byrne used ornament to frame otherwise flat, unadorned, elongated wall surfaces, creating an architectural idiom all his own, blending Gothic lines with an Art Deco aesthetic. In the 1920s, Byrne concentrated on ecclesiastical designs, and St. Patrick's ranks among his finest creations. Eschewing the usual steeple and cruciform plan, Byrne designed a square box, then slashed its flat sides with triangular shafts, which rise above the roofline as terracotta spires. The theme recurs at the building’s beveled corners, where multiple pinnacles rocket upward in tight formation. The triangles forming these spires reappear in the tall, pointed windows, the stained-glass door insets, and the terracotta coping over the doors and along the roofline. To fashion these geometric ornaments, Byrne turned to his long-time associate, sculptor Alfonso Ianelli, who once worked with Frank Lloyd Wright. Even St. Patrick’s interior reflected Byrne’s independent mind. The nearly square sanctuary integrated the nave and sanctuary into one space to bring congregants closer to the altar and the ministration of the sacraments. The original altar, however, and the ornate reredos, which echoed the building’s stylized lancets, were removed as a result of--as some critics argue--a misinterpretation of the principles of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council (1962-65). |
| Bibliographic References | (A) ZIMMERMANN, RUSSELL "THE HERITAGE GUIDEBOOK" (HERITAGE BANKS 1976). (B) AMERICAN ARCHITECT, FEB. 1926 (5 PAGES). (C) MILWAUKEE JOURNAL, 28 MARCH 1926, SECTION 4, P. 1. (D) SUSAN KARR, ARCHITECTURAL AND HISTORICAL SURVEY OF THE CITY OF RACINE (RACINE, WI: LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION, 1980), 11-12. Old Main Street Historic District Walking Tour Guide, 1990. Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript. Racine Landmarks Preservation Commission, Racine Frank Lloyd Wright and Prairie School Architecture Tour Guide, 1994. Renewing Our Roots: The Northside, Racine, Wisconsin, Preservation-Racine, Inc., not dated. |
National And State Register Of Historic Places Listings
| National/State Register Listing Name | St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date | Jul 05, 1979 |
| State Register Listing Date | Jan 01, 1989 |
| Contributing |
Architecture & History Inventory
The Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory (AHI) is a digital source of information on historic buildings, structures, and objects that have been surveyed by the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin. Each property has a digital record providing basic information about the property and images.
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Email UsAttribution
For a credit line: Wisconsin Historical Society, Creator, Title, Unique Identifier.
The Unique Identifier can be found at the top or bottom of the page for each item. The name of a downloaded file is NOT the unique identifier.
For bibliographic citations please consult the UW-Madison Libraries Citation Research Guide to ensure compliance with appropriate style guidelines.
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Some properties have more materials (correspondence, clippings, historical information, etc.) not in the digital record. If a 'Site File' exists, it's noted in the 'Additional Comments' field. Contact us for an appointment to view these materials.
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