| 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.
Kenosha, overwhelmingly Yankee and western and northern European before 1900, became more ethnically diverse in the new century. The city’s factories attracted thousands of immigrants, especially Italians and Slavs. The largest group, Italians, settled on the west side, including Twenty-second Avenue.
The newcomers founded a Roman Catholic congregation almost immediately, in 1904; it moved twelve blocks north to this new building in 1931. Dickhaut chose the Renaissance Revival mode, using bas-reliefs and statuary to lend an air of opulence and perhaps to recall the Italian origin of the Renaissance. At ground level, fluted pilasters with Corinthian capitals separate three classical doorways under pediments with bas-relief tympana. Above, smooth-shafted Ionic pilasters again divide the composition into three sections: a rose window at center, and niches on either side, sheltering life-size figures of Mary. An ornate triangular pediment crowns the church. Dickhaut anchored the apse end of the church with a telescoping, domed tower.
Inside, over the altar, is a statue of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of Pompeii, based on a painting at the Italian shrine of the same name. Above that statue is a painting, “The Disputatum,” depicting the Apostles arguing over Jesus’ true identity. The interior has remained unchanged despite the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council of 1962-65, which spurred alterations in many Catholic churches.
ITALIAN RENAISSANCE REVIVAL STYLE. PEDIMENTED ENTRIES. PEDIMENTED GABLE. TELESCOPING DOMED TOWER.
2023: Appearance unchanged. Associated resources include the Rectory (AHI #246836), Convent (AHI #246837), and school (AHI #246838). |
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