Calvary Presbyterian Church

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Established in 1869, Calvary Presbyterian served the then-rapidly expanding neighborhoods on the West Side, which wanted a church closer to home, as the two existing Presbyterian churches at the time were on the East Side. The founders of this new church set out almost immediately to build a new house of worship, selecting a site on Grand Avenue (now Wisconsin Avenue). After acquiring the property, they selected the Milwaukee architectural firm of Koch and Hess to design the building. The new church for Calvary Presbyterian was one of the firm’s first commissions. Henry C. Koch went on to become one of Milwaukee’s most distinguished architects, designing the present City Hall, Turner Hall, the Pfister Hotel, and numerous other important buildings.

The cornerstone of Calvary Presbyterian was laid on May 10, 1871, although the stone is inscribed “1870.” The stone was probably inscribed with the expectation that it would be set in place in late 1870, but construction delays or an early winter may have caused postponement of the cornerstone laying until the following spring. Construction continued for the remainder of 1871 and into the following year, with dedication of the completed church in March of 1872.

The church building has been continuously used as the congregational home of Calvary Presbyterian, which holds services at 10:30am every Sunday. The sanctuary and other parts of the building also regularly rented for weddings, retreats, concerts, rehearsals, religious services, theatrical performances, and other community events.

Calvary Presbyterian Church is one of the oldest surviving churches in Milwaukee and among of the first religious buildings in the city to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.