Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist is the episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, of which the Most Reverend Timothy Dolan is now Archbishop. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Milwaukee Landmark.
A Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist also exists in Spokane, Washington.
[edit] Description
Archbishop John Henni purchased land for the cathedral in 1844. The cornerstone for the Cathedral was laid on December 5, 1847 after nearly $30,000 was raised for construction. It was completed in 1852 and dedicated to John the Evangelist. The building was designed by architect Victor Schulte in German Zopstil style and built using Cream City brick, a distinct light colored brick found locally.
The original tower was deemed unsafe and the section above the clock was replaced with a taller tower in 1893, which was designed by noted Milwaukee architects George Ferry & Alfred Clas. A fire partially destroyed the church and most of its contents in January of 1935. Only the tower remained fully intact. Rebuilding was completed in time for midnight mass on Christmas Eve of 1942.
St. John's Cathedral features thirteen large hand-cut stained glass windows made by T.C. Esser Company of Milwaukee. A large tomb-shaped baptismal pool and marble font is also situated prominently in the center of the sanctuary.
It was rededicated on February 9, 2002 following restoration work in which the exterior brick was cleaned and the interior remodeled. Some of the highlights include a controversial fiberglass crucifix designed by Italian sculptors Arnaldo Pomodoro and Giuseppe Maraniell. The piece is topped with a fourteen foot in diameter crown of thorns which hovers over the figure of Christ. Also during the restoration the altar was moved to the center of the assembly, now surrounded by the congregation. In 2001 a gated garden and atrium were added at the north end of the building.
The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1997.
[edit] Cathedral Square Park
Cathedral Square Park is a small urban Milwaukee County Park located in front of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Originally known as Courthouse Square, the land was donated by city co-founder Solomon Juneau in 1836, and housed the first two county courthouses and jail. A mob of 5,000 people converged at the jail in 1854 to rescue Joshua Glover, a runaway slave captured and imprisoned by federal marshals.
It became a park in 1939 when a new location was selected for the third Milwaukee County Courthouse. Since then, it has become a popular meeting place and host for events such as Jazz in the Park and the farmers' market. The city currently offers free Wi-Fi service in the park.
