| 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.
Building will be lifted off of its foundation in the fall of 2002 in order to have a new foundation poured. THIS IS A SIMPLE CHURCH STRUCTURE WITH "GOTHIC OVERTONES" ACCORDING TO WISCONSIN ARCHITECT, RICHARD W.E. PERRIN. (B). POINTED ARCH WINDOW OPENINGS AND A LOUVRED BELFREY ARE PROMINENT FEATURES. THIS ONE STORY CHURCH IS RECTANGULAR IN SHAPE, HAVING A GABLE ROOF, A CUT-STONE FOUNDATION AND A NEW CHIMNEY ON THE SOUTH END. ALSO ON THE SAME SITE AS THE CHURCH IS A MEETING HALL, WHICH HAS HAD NO INTENSIVE SURVEY MADE FOR IT. THE CHURCH BUILDING IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
LANCASTER'S EPISCOPAL CONGREGATION WAS ORGANIZED IN 1852 IN THE OFFICES OF LAWYERS BARBER AND LOWRY. THE SMALL GATHERING, WHICH NAMED THEIR PARISH "WESTWOOD," ELECTED THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS: SENIOR WARDEN, NELSON DEWEY, WHO ACCORDING TO THE TAX RECORDS, OWNED THE LAND ON WHICH THE CHURCH WAS CONSTRUCTED; JUNIOR WARDEN, WILLIAM HORNER; AND VESTRYMEN JOHN WELSH, ALEXANDER CALDER, SAMUEL ROWDEN, ANDREW BARNETT, AND J. ALLEN BARBER. (A)
INITIALLY, THE CONGREGATION HELD THEIR SERVICES IN THE SCHOOL HOUSE WITH REVEREND EBENEZER WILLIAMS, OF WINGVILLE, OFFICIATING. IN 1858, THE CHURCH WAS ERECTED WITH FUNDS DONATED BY THE MOTHER OF WILLIAM HORNER AND A NUMBER OF OTHERS. THE PARISH WAS REORGANIZED IN 1865 AND RENAMED "EMANUEL;" NEW OFFICERS WERE ALSO ELECTED. (A).
ADJOINING THE CHURCH TO THE SOUTH IS THE CEMETERY CONTAINING THE GRAVE OF WISCONSIN'S FIRST GOVERNOR, NELSON DEWEY. A WISCONSIN MARKER COMMEMORATES THE SITE. (IT IS SURVEY SITE 6/27). TO THE EAST IS THE FORMER CHURCH MEETING HALL (CIRCA 130 W. WALNUT STREET, 46/18), MOVED TO THE SITE BETWEEN 1912 AND 1927.
"A block south of courthouse square (the southeast of Jefferson and Walnut Streets) was the Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Organized in March 1852, its parishioners built this Gothic Revival church in 1859 on land donated by Nelson Dewey. On May 8, 1865, the church was consecrated. Catherine Eaton lent a hand and "played the melodeon" during the service, and Reverend Charles Rice became its pastor. This church building remained in use until the early 1980s. Nelson Dewey is buried in the cemetery next to the church." Lancaster's Historic Courthouse Square |
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| Bibliographic References: | A. CASTELLO HOLFORD, HISTORY OF GRANT COUNTY, WISCONSIN (LANCASTER, THE TELLER PRINT, 1900), P. 436.
Lancaster Grant County Herald Independent 6/20/2002, 11/18/1999.
B. RICHARD W.E. PERRIN, "POINTED ARCHES AND BUTTRESSED WALLS: GOTHIC STYLISM IN WISCONSIN ARHCITECURE," WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY 47 (SPRING 1964): 245.
Lancaster's Historic Courthouse Square, Lancaster Historic Preservation Commission, 2006.
Perrin, Richard W. E., Historic Wisconsin Architecture, First Revised Edition (Milwaukee, 1976). |
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