| 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.
A brick, symmetrically designed church structure, 36 ft. x 36 ft. that has a sloping roof with an entrance and bell tower placed in the center of the front street facing gable facade. The square tower has a wooden steeple and a cupola that is penetrated by eight round arched fenestrations with a balustraded railing on the interior at the base of the arched openings. Stained glass round arched window with a stone sill accent the facades. A round window penetrates the front facade of the tower element. The structure was built at a cost of $5,000 with brick from Galena. A frame extension has been added to the East and large plate glass doors have altered the front entrance.
Significant as an example of early vernacular brick, church architecture in Southwest Wisconsin, this church structure also has architectural significance as the only brick church in Benton. In addition, it has been a visual landmark for the village of Benton for well over a 100 years.
The Primitive Methodist Church is significant for its association with the religious development of Benton. The Primitive Methodist sect was formed in England during the early 1800s. Primitive Methodism was brought to the lead region by English settlers in the 1840s. Several churches organized in the lead region formed the western conference of the American Primitive Methodist Church.
Primitive Methodism differs from the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Primitive Methodist believe in lay leadership. The organization of the Church government is based on principals of republicanism. Different names are given to church offices-leaders and stewards instead of deacons and elders. The highest ecclesiastical court is called a conference instead of a general assembly. Power is delegated to lay leaders instead of ecclesiastical leaders.
The Benton Primitive Methodist Church was organized in 1847. The first meetings were held in the schoolhouse until 1850. In that year a frame church was built on the site of the present church. Dennis Murphy donated the land to the church. In 1863, the frame church was set on fire and burned to the ground. Legend has it, that there was a difference in opinion over the slavery issue.
The same year (1863), the present church was built. The church has remained one of the three religious institutions in Benton. The Primitive Methodist Church which was begun by English settlers who came to the lead region in the 1840s has continued to be a dominant force in the religious life of the community.
2024: The one-story, vernacular, Primitive Methodist Church was constructed in 1864 and has a T-plan, brick cladding, limestone foundation, and a 1905 central vestibule and bell tower that also serves as the main entrance. A c.1951, side-gable, vinyl-clad addition is located on the rear (north) elevation, creating the T-plan. Windows are original arched stained-glass and one-over-one vinyl units. Modern wood steps and a ramp lead to a wood, double-door entrance on the front (south) facade. A recessed, three-part, stained-glass window with a rounded arch surmounts the entrance. A round window and a stone block inscribed with “Primitive Methodist Church Erected 1864,” also adorn the facade of the tower. The tower has a partial hip roof that is capped by an enclosed wood bell tower. An entrance is located on either side of the front of the rear addition. A sidewalk provides access to all three entrances and the terrace east of the church is paved to provide parking. A small cemetery is located north, west, and south of the building, surrounding the church.
The Primitive Methodist Church was built in 1864 at a cost of $5,000 on the same site of a former 1852 frame building. In 1905 members of the church raised $200 to add the vestibule and steeple. The Benton Primitive Methodist Church appears to be one of the few vernacular brick churches in southwest Wisconsin and the only brick church in Benton. |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Tresch's Book, p. 285.
(B) Lafayette Co. Fair Premium Book, 1886.
(C) Butterfield, History of Lafayette County, 1881, p. 561.
(D) Benton Primitive Methodist Church 1847-1947: Centennial Program.
(E) Thomas Dawson, interview, Oct. 1982.
(F) J.H. Acairley, A History of the Primitive Methodist Church in the U.S., 1909, p. 4-7.
2024:
“Aerial Image: Benton, Lafayette County, Wisconsin, 1951.”
“Our Churches’ Histories” (Benton, WI, n.d.), https://bentonwi.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/church-histories.pdf.
Richard Perrin, Historic Wisconsin Buildings: A Survey of Pioneer Architecture, 1835-1870 (Milwaukee Public Museum, 1981), https://archive.org/details/historicwisconsi00perr_0/page/62/mode/2up?q=rural+brick.
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