Property Record
1105 S 7TH ST (AKA 723 W WASHINGTON ST)
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Saint Patrick's Roman Catholic Church |
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| Other Name: | St. Patrick's Catholic Church |
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| Reference Number: | 15571 |
| Location (Address): | 1105 S 7TH ST (AKA 723 W WASHINGTON ST) |
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| County: | Milwaukee |
| City: | Milwaukee |
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| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1893 |
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| Additions: | 1895 |
| Survey Date: | 1980 |
| Historic Use: | church |
| Architectural Style: | Early Gothic Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Cream Brick |
| Architect: | JAMES J. EGAN |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Saint Patrick's Roman Catholic Church |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 12/16/1974 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 1/1/1989 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | 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. John Greisler was the mason. "From a distance, the distinctive Irish Gothic revival silhouette of St. Patrick's stands out among the forest of church steeples on the city's near south side skyline. The seven dormers that project from each side of the steeply pitched main roof convey a strong sense of the Irish ethnic origin of the church, which contrasts with the architecture of other nearby churches that were built for different ethnic groups. The massive buttressed corner tower is a hallmark of Anglo/Irish design. Its square, simple lines and groundhugging character should be compared with the city's German Gothic revival style steeples which are exceptionally tall and spiky and often feature an octagonal drum stage immediately beneath their slender, tapered spires. The body of the church is broad and low with heavily buttressed walls which are usually tall and narrow. Visiting St. Patrick's nearly-intact interior is a must in order to experience the beauty of its outstanding collection of European-made art glass windows. The interior, with its fine marble altars, natural woodwork, and a pitched ceiling, is reminiscent of English and Irish parish church design. Founded in 1876, the congregation first built the fine Milwaukee cream brick school building which is still standing at 1115 South Seventh Street. The school included a church auditorium on the second floor which was in use until the present church was formally dedicated on May 19, 1895. The Irish were among the earliest ethnic groups to settle in Milwaukee and comprised almost one-fifth of the total population of the city by 1847. Many left their native Ireland because of famine and economic hardship brought about by the failure of the potato crops and agricultural reforms during the 1840s. The Irish lived in neighborhoods near the city's waterfront industries and maritime commerce. The largest Irish settlement was on the south side of the central business district near the port and a smaller group clustered in the Walker's Point area. It was the Walker's Point Irish community that established St. Patrick's and named it for Ireland's patron saint. Today the diverse congregation is drawn primarily from the near south side's melting pot population of various ethnic groups. St. Patrick's however, is still a source of pride for the city's Irish-American community which has recently rallied behind the congregation's effort to restore the church's magnificent windows." MILWAUKEE ETHNIC CHURCH TOUR, CITY OF MILWAUKEE DEPARTMENT OF CITY DEVELOPMENT, 1994. |
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| Bibliographic References: | MILWAUKEE ETHNIC CHURCH TOUR, CITY OF MILWAUKEE DEPARTMENT OF CITY DEVELOPMENT, 1994. BUILDING PERMIT. Pagel, p. 12. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |