Highland Avenue Methodist Church

Last updated
Highland Avenue Methodist Church
Highland Methodist Church Mar10.jpg
USA Wisconsin location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location2024 W. Highland Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Coordinates 43°2′41″N87°56′19″W / 43.04472°N 87.93861°W / 43.04472; -87.93861
Arealess than one acre
Built1891, 1894
ArchitectCarl C. Barkhausen, Charles D. Crane
Architectural style Gothic Revival, German Gothic
MPS West Side Area MRA
NRHP reference No. 86000114 [1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 16, 1986

The Highland Avenue Methodist Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, is a Gothic Revival-styled church built in 1891 by Milwaukee's first German Methodist congregation. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. [1] [2]

The congregation, founded in 1846, was the first German Methodist congregation in the state of Wisconsin, and the mother-church of that denomination in the state. The German Methodists in America were organized in a separate conference from the English-speaking Methodists until the two groups combined in 1933. The congregation built church buildings on North 5th Street in 1848 and West Juneau and 11th in 1872. [3]

In 1896 the congregation built this church at Highland Avenue. Charles Crane and Carl Barkhausen designed the building in a German Gothic style, with a cross-shaped footprint, and a square corner tower. Walls are brick with corbeling and other decoration formed from brick and terra cotta. At the center of the main facade is a large arch containing various stained glass windows. The steeple on the tower transitions in an interesting way from a square tower to an octagonal spire. Inside, the lectern, table and choir are on a raised dais in the corner, with the pews arranged around it in concentric arcs. [3]

When the Highland Ave. church was built in 1891, the congregation was changing from German to English services. The whole German Methodist conference merged with other U.S. Methodists in 1933. The Highland Avenue congregation dissolved in the 1960s. After that a black congregation moved into the building, then the Church for All People, then the Solomon Community Temple, [3] and as of 2019 the Rehoboth New Life Center. [4]

The church building is the only one known to have been designed by the Milwaukee architectural firm Crane and Barkhausen, which specialized in schools and residences. It was placed on the NRHP as an important example of German Gothic style and because of its connection to the mother congregation of German Methodism in the state. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calvary Presbyterian Church (Milwaukee)</span> Historic church in Wisconsin, United States

Calvary Presbyterian Church is a Victorian Gothic church located in the Marquette University district of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">German-English Academy Building</span> Historic place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States

The German-English Academy Building is a school built in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1891 for the German-English Academy, which later became the University School of Milwaukee. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is now owned by the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Since 2012, it has been leased to the company Direct Supply as a technology center. It is beside the Grohmann Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)</span> Historic church in Wisconsin, United States

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church is a Gothic Revival-styled church built in 1889 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by a congregation with German roots. In 1992, the church and associated buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also designated a Milwaukee Landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)</span> Historic church in Wisconsin, United States

St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, or Iglesia Luterana San Pedro, is a historic church complex located in the Walker's Point neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church (Highland Park, Michigan)</span> Historic church in Michigan, United States

The Prayer Temple of Love Cathedral is located at 12375 Woodward Avenue in Highland Park, Michigan. It was built in 1929 as the Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First United Methodist Church (Highland Park, Michigan)</span> Historic church in Michigan, United States

The Soul Harvest Ministries is located at 16300 Woodward Avenue in Highland Park, Michigan. It was built in 1916 as the First United Methodist Church and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highland Park Presbyterian Church (Michigan)</span> Historic church in Michigan, United States

The Park United Presbyterian Church is located at 14 Cortland Street in Highland Park, Michigan. It was built in 1910 as the Highland Park Presbyterian Church, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1983. It is a member of The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and continues to offer services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Universalist Church (Somerville, Massachusetts)</span> Historic church in Massachusetts, United States

The First Universalist Church is a historic Universalist Church building at 125 Highland Avenue in Somerville, Massachusetts. The Romanesque church building was built between 1916 and 1923 to a design by Ralph Adams Cram, and is the only example of his work in Somerville. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. It is currently owned by the Highland Masonic Building Association, and is the home of King Solomon's Lodge AF & AM, the builders of the Bunker Hill Monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Unitarian Church (Somerville, Massachusetts)</span> Historic church in Massachusetts, United States

The former First Unitarian Church is a historic church building at 130 Highland Avenue in Somerville, Massachusetts. The stone church was built in 1894 for a Unitarian congregation. It was designed by Hartwell & Richardson and is a good example of Richardsonian Romanesque design. The building presently (2022) houses the Mission Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Methodist Church (Monroe, Wisconsin)</span> Historic church in Wisconsin, United States

The First Methodist Church in Monroe, Green County, Wisconsin, now the Monroe Arts Center, is a Gothic Revival edifice designed by the former Wisconsin State Architect E. Townsend Mix of Milwaukee and constructed of Cream City brick. It was commissioned in 1869 by the First Methodist Episcopal congregation of Monroe to replace an earlier church building that dated to 1843. The adjacent parsonage was completed in 1886, and the complete ensemble was finally dedicated in 1887.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace United Methodist Church (Keene, New Hampshire)</span> Historic church in New Hampshire, United States

Grace United Methodist Church is a historic Methodist Church building at 34 Court Street in Keene, New Hampshire. Built in 1869, it was designed by architect Shepard S. Woodcock, and is one of the largest churches in southwestern New Hampshire. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Its congregation moved in 2009 and was disbanded in 2016, and the building is undergoing renovation for use as professional offices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial United Methodist Church</span> Historic church in Vermont, United States

The Memorial United Methodist Church is a historic church in the village of Swanton, Vermont. Built in 1895, it is an architecturally distinctive example of Queen Anne architecture executed in brick. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Chapel, Guildhall, and Rectory</span> Historic church in Wisconsin, United States

St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Chapel, Guildhall, and Rectory is a historic church complex in Racine, Wisconsin. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 for its architectural significance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Episcopal Church (Madison, Wisconsin)</span> Historic church in Wisconsin, United States

Grace Episcopal Church is a Gothic Revival-style church started in 1855 on the Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin by the oldest congregation in the city. In 1976 the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Congregational Church (Waukesha, Wisconsin)</span> Historic church in Wisconsin, United States

First Congregational Church is located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The core of the current church was built in 1867 and has been expanded and remodeled since. The church is also used as a church school. On January 30, 1992, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church Complex</span> Historic church in Wisconsin, United States

Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church Complex is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 for its architectural significance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salem Evangelical Church (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)</span> Historic church in Wisconsin, United States

Salem Evangelical Church is a modest Victorian Gothic church built in 1874 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 for its architectural significance, and for being "the oldest surviving church building in the near south side... associated with a German congregation."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Martini Evangelical Lutheran Church</span> Historic church in Wisconsin, United States

St. Martini Evangelical Lutheran Church is a historic church built in 1887 to serve the growing German immigrant population in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The brick church building was designed by German-born architect Herman Paul Schnetzky in a Gothic Revival style. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First German Reformed Church</span> Historic church in Wisconsin, United States

First German Reformed Church was a historic church built in 1891 at 413 Wisconsin Avenue in Waukesha, Wisconsin, United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The 1891 building burned to the ground in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southside Historic District (Racine, Wisconsin)</span> Historic district in Wisconsin, United States

The Southside Historic District is a large, prestigious historic neighborhood in Racine, Wisconsin, including over 500 contributing structures in various architectural styles. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Highland Avenue Methodist Church". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Robin Wenger; Carlen Hatala (1983). "Inventory Form for Nominated Properties: Highland Avenue Methodist Church". National Park Service . Retrieved April 26, 2017. With two photos from 1984.
  4. "Rehoboth Apostolic New Life Center". Faithstreet, Inc. Retrieved 2019-10-17.