The Oldest Church in Wisconsin Has a Fascinating History

Known for its cheese and beer, Wisconsin is also known for its churches. Because approximately one-fourth (23%) of the state’s residents identify as Catholic, the fact is that many of Wisconsin’s oldest churches were and are of Catholic denomination.

The oldest church in Wisconsin is Old St. Mary’s Church in Wisconsin, and it has a fascinating history!

Controversy

As with most states, more than one church/church building claims the place as “oldest.” For example, older churches exist in Wisconsin as far as the year they were founded and/or built, but they have been rebuilt in different locations or moved and, at times, even renamed or fundamentally and foundationally altered.

Old St. Mary’s Church – History

Old St. Mary’s Church, at 844 North Broadway in downtown Milwaukee, was the proto-Germanic church of the Milwaukee division (archdiocese)of the Roman Catholic Church. Milwaukee had only been incorporated a year before St. Ann’s Frauenverein, a group of German-speaking women, founded the church in 1846 two years before Wisconsin became a state. The property for the church cost $425, and its first cornerstone was set into place on April 19, 1846.

The church’s first pastor was Friar Michael Heiss, who later became the second archbishop of Milwaukee.

Design

Renowned architect Victor Schulte designed Old St. Mary’s. He then proceeded to design additional significant buildings for the city of Milwaukee such as St. John’s Cathedral. Two years after the first cornerstone was laid, in 1848, King Ludwig I of Bavaria donated a painting of the Annunciation to the church, which is still hanging above the church’s high altar.

Modern Times

In 1973, Old St. Mary’s was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is the oldest original standing and currently operating church in Milwaukee. Mass times are plentiful, and the calendar is updated each week.