INTRODUCTION OVERVIEW Wisconsin's religious composition is, to a large extent, a product of the immigration to the state of religious and ethnic groups during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In the early settlement of Wisconsin, ethnicity was essentially inseparable from religion for many groups and, for others, ethnic factions of religious organizations often played key roles in shaping their religious attitudes. The earliest Europeans to arrive in Wisconsin were French fur traders, followed closely by Jesuit and Recollect missionaries in the mid-seventeenth century. This exploration marked the first, albeit short-lived, appearance of organized Western religion in the area. The French Roman Catholic missionaries were devoted to the conversion of the Indian population (Trodella 1979:4). The first Roman Catholic missionary to reach present-day Wisconsin was the Jesuit priest Rene Menard. More successful in his missionary activities, however, was another Jesuit priest, Claude Allouez. In 1665, Allouez made La Pointe, Madeline Island, his base for ministering to the Hurons in the vicinity. He later transferred his activities from La Pointe to the Indian tribes along the Fox River and Green Bay. During the winter of 1671-1672, Allouez and Father Louis Andre built the first permanent mission on the Fox River, St. Francois Xavier at De Pere. Throughout the late seventeenth century and into the early eighteenth century, Roman Catholic missionaries continued to travel throughout the vast western wilderness, establishing temporary chapels, celebrating mass, and ministering to both the Indians and French fur traders. Yet, despite their efforts, these missionaries gained very few converts among the· numerous Indian tribes. By the beginning of the eighteenth century missionary activity in the region had all but ceased, and by 1728 the Jesuits had abandoned their last chapel at Green Bay (Smith 1973:27-28). There was no resident priest in the Wisconsin region for nearly a century. The period between 1820 and the attainment of statehood in 1848 might be termed Wisconsin's "Protestant era." During this period significant numbers of native born Americans of European descent began immigrating to the area. They came in two distinct migratory streams. First, miners traveled up the Mississippi River from the southern states to the southwestern lead region during the 1820s and 1830s. At the same time, some of the first English, Welsh, Cornish, and German settlers moved to the region. Second, a stream of "Yankee" immigrants from New York and New England entered the fertile agricultural lands of the southeast. They were joined by British and Irish immigrants. These immigrants introduced several Protestant denomip.ations into the region: Congregational, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Baptist, and Methodist. By the 1840s virtually every major denomination had gained a toehold in the territory (Trodella 1979:4-5). Other smaller Protestant denominations became established in the Wisconsin Territory during this period as well. The Dutch of Milwaukee organized the first Reformed Church in that city in 1847. Unitarian and Universalist denominations were founded in Milwaukee, Racine, and Southport (Kenosha). The Evangelical and United Brethren churches began missionary work in the region as early as the 1840s, but neither organized a Wisconsin Conference until the mid-1850s (Smith 1973:611). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints first appeared in the Wisconsin Territory in 1841. Between 1841 and 1845 a small group of Mormons established a temporary 1-1 RELIGION SOURCES: History of Wisconsin Project n.d. Denominational Data Files, notes. State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison. Nesbit, Robert C. 1985 The Historv of Wisconsin (Vol. 3): Urbanization and Industrialization, 1873-1893. State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison. Smith. Alice 1973 The Historv of Wisconsin (Vol. Il: From Exploration to Statehood. State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison. Tordella, Stephen J. 1979 Religion in Wisconsin: Preferences, Practices, and Ethnic Composition. Population series 70-13. Applied Population Laboratory, University of Wisconsin, Madison. PROTECTION Threats to Resources Since the turn of the century, religious properties in Wisconsin, like those throughout the country, have become increasingly subjected to the pressures of shifting social and population patterns. Major threats to church-related buildings are urbanization and suburbanization, declining church memberships, and increasing government involvement in the areas of education and social services. They have often resulted in abandonment, neglect, unsympathetic reuse, or demolition of churches and other religious properties. Many religious structures have disappeared through replacement. As early as the mid-nineteenth century, primitive log chapels and churches were being replaced by frame and masonry structures in populated areas of the state. By the late nineteenth century, churches and other religious properties were reflecting the general affluence of growing communities founded on agricultural pursuits and burgeoning industries. Small frame and masonry churches were replaced by larger structures, and other associated religious properties, such as educational facilities, halls, orphanages, and mo.nasteries, grew in number. About the time of the First World War, many rural communities became less isolated due to the advent of the automobile. Many rural churches and camp meeting sites were gradually abandoned or became neglected as parishioners commuted to churches in larger urban centers. Threats to rural religious properties were further exacerbated during this period as more and more rural dwellers were drawn to cities by better employment opportunities. The Great Depression posed a major menace to urban and rural religious properties as the populations shifted in response to the crisis. Many churches were forced to close temporarily, others permanently. World War II brought additional pressures. As the young people went to war or entered war-time production and older communities dispersed, more churches and associated religious properties were faced with abandonment, neglect, unsympathetic reuse, and demolition. 1-3 RELIGION state and was an influential educational force in southeastern Wisconsin. A religious property could also be eligible for the National Register if it was significant for its association with the social, cultural, economic, or political history of a community: the Ephraim Moravian Church (c. 1896) Ephraim, Door County, is significant for its role in the development of the Scandinavian Moravian Church in Ephraim. In Milwaukee, Holy Trinity (Our Lady of Quadalupe) Roman Catholic Church (1849-1850) has historic association with the city's. early German population, while St. Josaphat Basilica (1896-1901; 1929) in Milwaukee is significant for its connection with the city's Polish community. A religious property may be eligible under Criterion B for its association with an individual important in religious history, if that significance has scholarly, secular recognition and has importance in a broader historical context. For example, a religious property may be eligible if it is associated with a religious leader who significantly influenced an important religious institution or movement, or who was important in the social, economic, or political history of an area. St. Augustine Church (1844) in the Town of New Diggings, Lafayette County is significant for its association with the pioneer priest Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli, who designed and erected at least 20 churches in the upper Mississippi valley. A religious property significant under Criterion C is most often appropriately evaluated in its local context, specifically in comparison to other properties of its type, period, or method of construction. A religious property is eligible under this criterion if, for example, it is an important illustration of an architectural style: St. John Chrysostom Church (1851-1853) in Delafield, Waukesha County is significant as an excellent example of Gothic Revival architecture. If a property is the work of a master it may also be eligible. The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church (1961) in Wauwatosa was designed by world renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Other religious properties may display a high artistic value in their design or detailing that make them eligible. St. Joseph Orphan Home (1871) in Superior is significant for the elaborate detailing in the chapel. Properties may exhibit a unique method of construction that make them eligible. St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church (1870-1871) in New Fane, Fond du Lac County is significant for its exceptional stonework, with boulders selected for size and color. A religious property or site may be eligible under Criterion D if it can yield important information about prehistoric or historic religious practices of a cultural group. An examples of a Wisconsin property eligible under this criterion is the La Pointe Indian Cemetery (1836) on Madeline Island. Churches listed in the National Register for architectural, historical , and archeological significance have been included in the sections "National Register Listings and Determinations of Eligibility," found at the end of each study unit. Although the study unit is primarily useful for evaluating historical significance, the Historic Preservation Division believed that information on all listings would prove useful. Survey Priorities Thematic survey of Scandinavian