Property Record
427 St Johns St
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | St. John's the Evangelist Catholic Church |
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| Other Name: | ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST CHURCH |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 2196 |
| Location (Address): | 427 St Johns St |
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| County: | Brown |
| City: | Green Bay |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1911 |
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| Additions: | 2006 1947 1960 2003 1931 1939 1970 1984 2005 1996 |
| Survey Date: | 19862022 |
| Historic Use: | house of worship |
| Architectural Style: | Romanesque Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | FOELLER & SCHOBER (a); FOELLER, JOSEPH (b); Berners Schober; Louis Fabry (Builder) |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| 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, Division of Historic Preservation-Public History. TALL SQUARE TOWER WITH ELABORATE DETAILING AND ARCADED BELL TOP. ROUND ARCH WINDOWS AND ARCADED ENTRY FACADE. SHORTER SQUARE TOWER AT OTHER SIDE OF ENTRY. LANDMARK QUALITY LATE EXAMPLE OF THE STYLE. IN PLAN, THE CHURCH FOLLOWS THE TRADITIONAL PATTERN OF A GABLE ROOF NAVE FORMING THE MAIN AXIS WITH A GABLE ROOF TRANSEPT CROSSING AT RIGHT ANGLES. THE MAIN AXIS IS TERMINATED BY A SEMI-CIRCULAR APSE AT THE NORTH END AND BY A TRIPLE-ARCHED ENTRANCE PORTAL ON THE ASYMMETRICAL MAIN FACADE. THIS FACADE IS DOMINATED BY TWO UNEQUAL HEIGHT SQUARE TOWERS, EACH OF WHICH IS TERMINATED BY AN OPEN BELFRY HAVING TRIPLE ARCHED OPENINGS. BOTH TOWERS HAVE HIP ROOFS WITH WIDE OVERHANGING EAVES SUPPORTED BY A BRACKETED CORNICE. SEMI-CIRCULAR ARCHES ARE USED FOR ALL OPENINGS. THIS MOTIF IS REPEATED IN THE CORBEL TABLE WHICH COMPLETELY SURROUNDS THE BUILDING BELOW ALL THE ROOF EAVES. THE SIDE WALLS OF THE NAVE ARE SUPPORTED BY BUTRESSES. LARGE WHEEL WINDOWS LIGHT THE NAVE AND EAST AND WEST TRANSEPTS. THE ELABORATE DECORATION OF THE EXTERIOR IS ECHOED IN THE INTERIOR WHICH, ALTHOUGH MODIFIED TO SUIT CHANGES IN THE LITURGY, STILL RETAINS MUCH OF ITS ORIGINAL DESIGN. ST. JOHN'S CHURCH IS ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT AS A TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE OF THE ROMANESQUE REVIVAL STYLE SURVIVING IN A SUPERB STATE OF PRESERVATION. THE CHURCH HAS BEEN A PROMINENT VISUAL LANDMARK SINCE ITS CONSTRUCTION, AND IS ONE OF THE BEST OF THE NUMEROUS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN GREEN BAY. THE CHURCH IS ALSO SIGNIFICANT AS THE MOST PROMINENT OF THE THREE RELATED BUILDINGS, INCLUDING THE RECTORY (80/07) AND ST. JOHN'S SCHOOL (80/04), WHICH COMPRISE THE ST. JOHN'S CHURCH HISTORIC DISTRICT. Green Bay Intensive Survey Phases 2, 3 & 4 |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) SANBORN-PERRIS MAP CO., INC. FIRE INSURANCE MAP OF GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN, NEW YORK, 1957. (B) CORNERSTONE OF BUILDING. (C) MARGARET BOGUE, AROUND THE SHORES OF LAKE MICHIGAN, MADISON, V.W. PRESS, 1985, P. 245. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |