Calvary Cemetery is the oldest existing Catholic cemetery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Owned by the

Archdiocese of Milwaukee The Archdiocese of Milwaukee ( la, Archidiœcesis Milvauchiensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. It encompasses the City of Milwaukee, a ...

, it is the final resting place for many of the city's early influential figures. The cemetery was designated a Milwaukee Landmark in 1981. With and approximately 80,000 interments, the Victorian landscape contains many ornate statues, crypts and monuments.

History

On November 2, 1857, a tract of for Calvary Cemetery was consecrated by Archbishop John Henni four miles (6 km) west from the downtown area on Bluemound Road, the first road to be constructed by the Wisconsin Territory.St. Vincent Pallotti Parish history
, ''Archdiocese of Milwaukee,'' accessed July 17, 2008. It was filled with the remains of the "Old Cemetery," which also contained the remains from Milwaukee's first cemetery established in the First Ward. By 1880 Calvary had 10,307 recorded burials and an additional were added. Both the

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

gate house and Romanesque Revival chapel were designed by architect

Erhard Brielmaier Erhard Brielmaier (January 7, 1841 – August 29, 1917) was an architect in the United States and Canada from the late 19th century through the early 20th century. He designed and built more churches and hospitals than any other architect. ...

, who also designed the

Basilica of St. Josaphat The Basilica of St. Josaphat, located in the Lincoln Village neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, is one of 82 minor basilicas found in the United States. In its grandeur and opulence it is an e ...

. A service building was constructed sometime after 1890 in Queen Anne style using Cream City brick, a distinct light colored brick made locally. The building is still in use today. The wooden gate house with its triumphal arch and four-story tower was completed in 1897. It is the oldest building on the grounds and was repainted in 2002 when a new storage building was built to the west. Chapel Hill (originally Jesuit Hill) is one of the highest points in Milwaukee. It is used as a burial site for clergy and members of the various religious orders. Many of the city's early catholic churches such as the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Old St. Mary's and St. Gall's (now Gesu Church) also utilize cemetery grounds. A large

Calvary Calvary ( la, Calvariae or ) or Golgotha ( grc-gre, Γολγοθᾶ, ''Golgothâ'') was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was said to have been crucified according to the canonical Gospels. Since at least the early mediev ...

cross stood at the peak until it was replaced with the chapel. The chapel was built in 1899 using Cream City brick and decorated with stone trim. An arched

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

with limestone columns and a rose window set the entrance while three hemispherical apses flank the other three sides. It is crowned by an octagonal tower with a peaked roof and

clerestory In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...

windows. Dedicated on All Souls Day in 1902, the chapel held mass on Memorial Day and All Souls Day until 1950, when the building's deteriorating condition made this impractical. Archbishop Henni donated of land across Bluemound Road to the

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (; postnominal abbr. O.F.M. Cap.) is a religious order of Franciscan friars within the Catholic Church, one of Three " First Orders" that reformed from the Franciscan Friars Minor Observant (OFM Obs., now OFM ...

on September 9, 1879 for a monastery and church. In exchange, they were to perform funeral services at the cemetery when parish priests were unable to attend. The cornerstone for Holy Cross Church (now St. Vincent Pallotti East) was placed on October 26, 1879 and dedicated on April 20, 1880. The order blessed the cemetery on All Saints Day. On May 18, 2006 a construction worker unearthed human remains in the area believed to be the location of the Old Cemetery near 22nd and Michigan streets. Thirteen burials have since been identified, and archaeologists are unsure if they are remnants from the cemetery or an earlier burial site used by a

Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...

village.Uncovering a mystery of early residents
, ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,'' July 1, 2006.

Notable interments

Calvary Cemetery contains a monument dedicated to the approximately 430 people who died with the sinking of the '' Lady Elgin'' on

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

in 1860. Most of those lost in the tragedy were from Milwaukee's Third Ward Irish community and is the second greatest loss of life seen on the Great Lakes. * John Black, 24th mayor of Milwaukee, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate *

, noted architect who also designed the

* William Cary, elected to the U.S. House of Representatives representing Wisconsin's 4th District *

Patrick Cudahy Patrick Cudahy Jr. (); March 17, 1849 – July 25, 1919) was an American industrialist in the meat packing business and a patriarch of the Cudahy family. Biography Cudahy was born on St. Patrick's Day in Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland. A few ...

, industrialist and founder of the Patrick Cudahy meat packing company *

Peter Deuster Peter Victor Deuster (February 13, 1831December 31, 1904) was a German Americans, German American immigrant, newspaperman, diplomat, and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician. He represented Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United S ...

, elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, Wisconsin State Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives * Patrick Drew, served in the Wisconsin State Legislature *

Adrian Hoecken Adrianus Hoecken, SJ ( Tilburg, 1815 – Milwaukee, 1897) was a Jesuit missionary of Dutch origin who worked among different Native American tribes in the United States. He was a younger brother of fellow Jesuit Christian Hoecken and one of t ...

, Dutch Jezuit missionary among the Native Americans * Robert Johnston, founder of the American Biscuit Company, a precursor to Nabisco *

Solomon Juneau Solomon Laurent Juneau, or Laurent-Salomon Juneau (August 9, 1793 – November 14, 1856) was a French Canadian fur trader, land speculator, and politician who helped found the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was born in Repentigny, Quebec, Canad ...

, co-founder of the City of Milwaukee and its first mayor * Philipp Jung, early brewer whose business was acquired by Pabst Brewing Company *

Matthew Keenan Matthew Keenan (January 5, 1825August 20, 1898) was an American businessman, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the lower east side of the city of Milwaukee during the 1871 session ...

, local politician who helped to establish the Old Soldiers' Home * Edward Keogh, 37th speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, represented Milwaukee in the Assembly for 13 terms. *

John Luick John Luick (born April 5, 1840 in Niagara Falls, New York – died March 30, 1938, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) was the founder of Luick Ice Cream, which later became part of Sealtest Dairy. Life and career Luick was born in Niagara Falls, New Y ...

, founder of the Luick Ice Cream company * Frederick Miller, founder of the Miller Brewing Company * Casper Sanger, businessman and representative in the Wisconsin Legislaturebr>
*

William H. Timlin William Henry Timlin (May 28, 1852August 21, 1916) was an American lawyer and judge. He was a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for the last ten years of his life. Biography Born in Mequon, Wisconsin. His father was an Irish Americans, Iri ...

, justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court * George Weissleder, elected to the Wisconsin State Senate and the Wisconsin State Assembly * Joseph Anthony Murphy, Jesuit Priest, Titular Bishop of Birtha, and Dean of College of Arts and Sciences at Marquette University

Sources

Calvary Cemetery

List of notable people at Calvary
(PDF)
Historic Preservation Commission Study
(PDF)

External links

Calvary CemeteryCalvary Cemetery BurialsFriends of Calvary Cemetery
* {{Coord, 43.03398, -87.98196, type:landmark_region:US-WI, display=title Cemeteries in Wisconsin Buildings and structures in Milwaukee Geography of Milwaukee Historic American Landscapes Survey in Wisconsin Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee Roman Catholic cemeteries in Wisconsin Tourist attractions in Milwaukee Protected areas of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin 1857 establishments in Wisconsin

History

Notable interments

See also

Sources

External links