| Additional Information: | Although essentially one story, this modern church facility rises to a nearly three-story tower at its southeast corner. A one-story, porte cochere-like extension to the west provides entry to a parking lot; the interior of the drive-through includes floor-to-ceiling windows along its east side. As the building rises to a nearly third story, long-and-narrow windows provide light to the interior, while a single, tall- and-narrow slit-like window occupies all four faces of the tower. A pair of recessed niche-like areas are located near the base of the "tower," while the set of glass entrance doors to the facility are located along N. Marr Street and beneath a one-story canopy wing. The building's structural system is comprised of structural steel and hollow steel studs rising from a concrete floor base. The roof is built of Styrofoam-insulated, baked enamel surfaced with standing seam and sheet metal. Exterior walls are comprised of sheet rock with 2-inch Styrofoam overlaid with epoxy stucco.
Designed by Madison architect Kenton Peters, the subject church was completed by the Ben Ganther Company in 1988 for Covenant United Methodist Church. The roots of the subject congregation date to 1839, when the first Methodist sermon in Fond du Lac was held in the home (no longer extant) of Dr. Mason Darling. Four years later, a meeting was held at the home (no longer extant) of Edward Pier and the congregation was formed with eleven persons. Meetings were thereafter held at a former schoolhouse and the former courthouse (neither of which remain extant). In 1850, two churches were built; one at 3rd & Marr Street, with the other on present-day Arndt Street (formerly Cotton Street). In 1859, Spencer Hall was purchased and remodeled and named Division Street Methodist Church (which stood at the subject location). In 1919, Cotton Street and Division Street congregations merged. An educational wing was built in 1961, the design of which was completed by the Milwaukee firm of Steffen & Kemp, while construction was completed by Jacob Lorenz Co. Ground-breaking for the $260,000 building occurred on 19 May 1963.
In 1972, a building committee was formed to investigate construction of the a new religious facility. Between 1974 and 1976, the congregation put their current church up for sale at $900,000, purchased a new parsonage on Champion Street and razed their Division Street parsonage. In 1979, St. Matthew's United Methodist Church and the Division Street congregation merged to form Covenant United Methodist Church. An additional parsonage was purchased in 1983 at 445 N. National Avenue and the old Division Street sanctuary, which had previously been reduced in price to $400,000, was ultimately demolished in 1986. Ground-breaking for the church was held on 15 March 1987, with the consecration held on 21 February 1988. An open house was held on 20 April 1988. The congregation continues to utilize the building. |
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