| 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.
Although three separate records exist for this property, all three buildings--the church, parsonage (AHI#144404) and school (AHI#144407) are all attached.
The low-lying, Neo-Gothic style church is Tennessee stone-veneered. The wooden, double-door entry is set within a steeply pitched, projecting entrance gable; a set of four concrete steps fronts the doorway. A thin, frame-constructed, metal-clad "fleche" or spire rises from the roof and above the entrance (high winds knocked the spire off of the roof in 2007, however, it will be reinstalled). A secondary and much smaller entrance is located at the opposite end, the doorway of which is topped with a gabled overhang with wooden bracket supports. Next to the secondary entryway is a shed-roof wing that is covered with stone along the lower wall space, while the upper portion is covered with a false half-timber and plaster finish. A series of four, rectangular windows occupy this projection. Located between the entrances are two bays separated by three, short, stepped buttresses. Each bay contains a single, tripartite colored-glass window. The easternmost end of the church's facade includes a two-story gabled wing (or porte cochere) that visually presents itself as a gatehouse. The lower level is an opening (including an iron gate) that provides entry to a courtyard/playground area, while the upper level, which is again sheathed with false half-timbering and a stucco-like finish, is devoid of fenestration. The church's west endwall carries only a single, round, stained-glass window near the peak.
Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized by Pastor Edmund Reim in 1917, as a mission of Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church. A rented chapel at Fremont & New streets (present-day 14th Avenue & 67th Place) was first utilized; dedication services were held on 25 November of that same year. In 1921, the congregation was officially organized as Bethany Lutheran and a new church and school building was erected at 14th Avenue & 74th Street. This served them well until 1938, at which time the possibility of a new church was explored. A building fund was established for "future expansion" in 1941 and, four years later, relocation was under consideration. Indeed, in January of 1947, seven lots were purchased at the corner of 22nd Avenue and 75th Street and the subject Steffen & Kemp church was built between 1953 and 1954. Dedication services were held on 14 March 1954. In March of 1960, Steffen & Kemp prepared drawings for the new school building, which is located at the east end of the church parcel. |
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| Bibliographic References: | "Bethany Ev. Lutheran Church--10th Anniversary," Typescript prepared by the congregation (1964), Located at Bethany Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kenosha, WI; "Bethany Lutheran Adopts Bold New Plan," Kenosha News, 1 February 1980, Clipping located in the Church Files at the Kenosha History Center Research Library, Kenosha, WI; Steffen & Kemp, "Bethany Lutheran Church," Original plans (Job #16), 16 March 1953; Steffen & Kemp, "Bethany Lutheran School," Original plans, 1 March 1960, both sets of plans on file at the Wisconsin Architectural Archive, as well as at the subject church; "Bethany Lutheran Tells Plans for Week's Rites Dedicating New Church," Kenosha Evening News, 12 March 1954, page 6; "Huge Crowd Attends Rite of Dedication at Bethany," Kenosha Evening News, 15 March 1954, page 6. |
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