Property Record
406 E MAIN ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | St. Matthew's Catholic Church |
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| Other Name: | Catholic Church of St. Matthew |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 60080 |
| Location (Address): | 406 E MAIN ST |
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| County: | Fond du Lac |
| City: | Campbellsport |
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| Year Built: | 1905 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 19742015 |
| Historic Use: | house of worship |
| Architectural Style: | Early Gothic Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | H.A. Foeller |
| 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, State Historic Preservation Office. One story with tower, gable roof, some romanesque details. St. Matthew's is a religious complex consisting of a church (60080), parochial school with gym addition (229637), parish hall (229638), and rectory (229639), and is located at the northeast corner of E. Main St. and Helena Street. The church is set back, separated from E. Main Street by a lawn, and a sign with stone veneer posts is located at the southwest corner of the property. The school is attached to the east (side) elevation of the church, and the remaining buildings are located on the north side of the complex. St. Matthew's Catholic Church is a Gothic Revival church built in 1905. It is clad in red brick, resting on a stone foundation, and the gable roof is clad in asphalt shingles. The eaves and the gable end parapets feature brick corbels. A large rose window is centered on the symmetrical front (south) facade above the central main entrance, which consists of a recessed doorway beneath a shallow portico clad in stone veneer. Square towers flank the main entrance and secondary entrances are located at their bases on the side (east and west) elevations; both towers feature steeply pitched hip roofs topped with crosses, brick corbels beneath the eaves, and pointed arch windows separated by brick pilasters with stone accents. The current towers replace an earlier steeple at the southwest corner and a smaller tower at the southeast corner. Brick buttresses separate each of the pointed arch aisle windows on the east and west (side) elevations. A c.2008 carport extends from the end of the west transept, and its west wall is adorned with a brick bas-relief of Christ. A cupola near the junction of the apse and choir, visible in a c.1940 photograph at the Campbellsport Historical Society, has been removed. The interior retains a cross-shaped floor plan with a main aisle flanked by wooden pews. An altar on a raised dais is located in the apse at the north end, and smaller devotional shrines are located on the north walls of both transepts. The pointed-arch ceiling vaults feature wooden ribs with decorative pendants at their bases, and the pointed-arch windows in each bay of the aisle feature stained glass depicting religious imagery. The Catholic community of Campbellsport constructed a previous church in the 1860s, and earlier parochial schools were located nearby at the St. Joseph's convent. No evidence was found to suggest that the church is associated with any particular ethnic group or played a significant role in the development of Campbellsport. Although the church retains some of its architectural details, it has been substantially altered with the replacement of the upper portions of both towers, replacement of the main entrance and loss of surrounding portal details, the addition of a secondary entrance and carport, and the large school addition. The school itself is a modest example of a mid-century school and the loss of historic window bands has diminished its integrity, and the parish hall is a modest example of a contemporary building. The rectory, although intact, is a modest example of a common vernacular form and lacks architectural interest. |
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| Bibliographic References: | The Improvement Bulletin 4/1/1905. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |