Property Record
502 N 8th St
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | First Presbyterian Church |
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| Other Name: | First Presbyterian Church |
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| Reference Number: | 58417 |
| Location (Address): | 502 N 8th St |
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| County: | Manitowoc |
| City: | Manitowoc |
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| Year Built: | 1870 |
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| Additions: | 1938 1960 |
| Survey Date: | 19852022 |
| Historic Use: | church |
| Architectural Style: | Early Gothic Revival |
| Structural System: | Unknown |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
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| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| Additional Information: | The original church is a well maintained example of the gothic Revival style sa applied to a religious building. The main body of the church is rectangular with a square corner tower topped by a steeple. The main block features two levels with gothic arched windows with cut stone hood moldings. The windows are made of stained glass and the two levels separated by a stone beltcourse. The front facing facade on State Street is dominated by a large gothic arched window with the same stone hood molding style. A gallery runs across the front of the building at the street level with the main facade with window set back about ten feet. The main gable end features a corbelled brick cornice. A two story stairtower with shaped gable and similar styled window with hood moldings is on the west corner of the facade. The square belltower/steeple is three stories high with a gable motif and stepped back piers at each level. The square tower is topped by a steeple. The First Presbyterian Church is significant as a local example of Gothic Revival architecture as applied to a church building. The building has been largely unchanged since its construction in 1870-72. It is the most ornate of the churches in the City which date from this era. The First Presbyterian Church in Manitowoc was organized on June 26, 1851 in a private home in Manitowoc Rapids. In 1852, the congregation shifted its meetings to Manitowoc and met in the school building located at Sixth and York Streets. In 1855, the group moved into their own building at the corner of No. 9th and Chicago Streets. In 1868, as the congregation continued to grow, it began to plan for a new, larger building. Construction on the present building began in 1870 and was completed in 1872 at a cost of $20,000. |
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| Bibliographic References: | A. Falge, Louis J., History of Manitowoc County, wisconsin. Vol. I, p. 160. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |