The Basilica of St. Josaphat’s is no ordinary building. At the completion of construction in 1902, it was the second-largest, steel-domed structure in the United States behind the U.S. Capitol, not to mention one of the largest domes in the world. During construction, precious funds were preserved by culling materials from the soon-to-be-razed U.S. Post Office and Custom House in Chicago, which, right down to its doorknobs, was loaded onto 500 railroad flat cars and shipped to Milwaukee. The Basilica was then constructed by Polish immigrants living in Lincoln Village who shared Pastor Reverend Wilhelm Grutza’s dream of a magnificent church that would honor God and celebrate the neighborhood’s Polish heritage. “Most of these men worked in the factories of companies like Harley Davison and A.O. Smith,” explains Susan A. Rabe, president and CEO of the Basilica Foundation, “They had manufacturing skills that translated well.” The Basilica was also funded by these Polish immigrants who second mortgaged their homes and undertook other extreme measures to make their dream a reality. Then again, the Basilica of St. Josaphat’s is no ordinary building.
Unlike similar structures such as the U.S. Capitol, the Basilica receives no federal funding. And unlike the Harkness Tower at Yale University, built from the same stone, the Basilica has no sizable endowment to finance renovations. This precarious position has imperiled the historic structure. In 1991, nearly a century of wear, tear and brutal Milwaukee winters had taken a serious toll on the Basilica’s exterior. That year the St. Josaphat Basilica Foundation was established to oversee care of the Basilica. “Renewing a Destination of Inspiration” names the Foundation’s current effort to raise $7.5 million dollars to cover the cost of necessary renovations to the Basilica. “The first bit of work is taking place this summer,” says Rabe, “Five stones need to be replaced.” Five stones may not sound like an imposing or costly task, but when one considers that these stones are 90 ft. by 80 ft., weigh close to 9,000 pounds and have to culled from the same quarry in Ohio that provided the original stones, the burden of the undertaking becomes clear. That’s why the Basilica Foundation (thebasilicafoundation.org) is soliciting Milwaukeeans to pick up the fiscal slack.
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As a national tourist attraction that attracts more than 50,000 annual visitors and bolsters Milwaukee’s yearly economy to the tune of $5.8 million dollars, the cost of renovations is put into perspective. The extraordinary three-story high stained glass windows, crafted in Innsbruck, Austria and dating back to 1900, make a compelling case to the non-sectarian aesthete. But in last account, Rabe invites Milwaukeeans to visit their local treasure, confident that the majesty of the Basilica of St. Josaphat is the most eloquent argument for the community to donate what they can on the foundation’s website or at the Basilica itself.
47th Annual Architectural Treasures Tour
Multiple Locations in Cedarburg
Annually, for nearly fifty years, the Cedarburg Cultural Center has cherry-picked a handful of historic homes to show off to the public. The 2016 Architectural Treasures Tour spans Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday (12-4 p.m.), August 6-7, and shows off five properties representing 150 years of architectural history. Of interest to both connoisseurs and newcomers, the tour features instructive examples of Victorian architecture, the Arts and Crafts movement, farmhouses, barns and mill buildings. Tickets, which are good for both days, are $17 in advance and $20 on the day of the tour.
“Fictitious Flora”
Racine Art Museum, 441 Main St.
On August 5, the Racine Art Museum unveils a new exhibition of two- and three-dimensional works by Wisconsin artist Jessica Calderwood. “Fictitious Flora” mines the symbolism associated with flowers in order to address themes including gender, peace, beauty and social responsibility. The art works themselves include a striking four-foot figure that sets the puffy white seed head of a dandelion flower upon shapely legs in high heels. At 6:30 p.m. on August 5, Calderwood and RAM curator Lena Vigna will give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the exhibition.
