CRYSTAL LAKE, Wis. – The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Town of Crystal Lake (Marquette County) on the State Register of Historic Places. State Historic Preservation Officer Daina Penkiunas presented a certificate to Karen Peters and Pastor Wayne Schwanke. The church is on County Road E near State Highway 22.
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church is a highly intact example of the Early Gothic Revival style of architecture applied to a rural church. The church was erected in 1907 by Bert Shew, a carpenter and contractor from nearby Princeton. The brick-clad church has a steeple centered on its main, south-facing facade. Other Early Gothic Revival features include its steeply pitched roof line, pointed-arch windows and door, and brick buttresses with stone caps. The interior has a central nave with walls and ceilings covered in pressed tin, which is original to the building as are the wood floors and church furniture.
St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church stands as the best and most intact example of an early 20th century, rural church building in Marquette County. The property includes a cemetery, schoolhouse, and two small outbuildings.
The State Register is Wisconsin’s official list of state properties determined to be significant to Wisconsin’s heritage. The State Historic Preservation Office at the Wisconsin Historical Society administers both the State Register and National Register in Wisconsin.
Additional information for St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church is available at
To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: www.wisconsinhistory.org.
About the Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
