Citizen Staff
Leonard Schraufnagel, local historian and lifetime attendee of St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, saw a wish come true this month as his church was approved to be on the state historic preservation register. He hopes to see it on the national list as well.
LEROY — Many assume it’s a landmark already, but now it’s official.
St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church on County Highway Y in LeRoy is now on the Wisconsin Register of Historic Places.
A local historian, Leonard Schraufnagel, took the necessary steps to ensure the preservation of the church he has attended since he was a child.
“It’s been a wish of mine for many, many years to have the church on the historic register,” Schraufnagel said.
And the State Historic Preservation Review Board made his wish a reality on Oct. 23 when they approved the nomination.
Schraufnagel’s interest in historic preservation was sparked by trips to Germany over 40 years ago. He admired the churches there because it was important to the people to maintain traditions. He wondered why so many buildings in America are victims of the wrecking ball when they are meaningful to people and express the culture of that region.
In 1997 Schraufnagel was asked to write the church’s 150-year history.
St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church was established in 1849, with a log church built in 1850. In 1868 a larger church was created and in 1901 the current building was constructed to accommodate the increasing membership.
“It’s a unique church,” Schraufnagel said. “It’s large for a rural setting. They say that in 1901 it was the largest rural church in Wisconsin. Two-steeple churches were not found for miles around. A former pastor, Father Anthony Gundrum, coined the phrase ‘Cathedral of the Marsh,’ a truly fitting title for this outstanding historic building.”
The church’s 39 stained glass windows are another unique feature. Crafted by Emil Frie in 1912, the Munich-style windows were popular for gothic churches during the early 20th century. The four largest windows were recently refurbished after the wind caused the windows to sag and loosen.
“Parishioners never wavered when it came to fixing the church up,” Schraufnagel said. “Whenever something happened, we were one people. Everybody helped together. You can’t ask for better citizenship.”
Carol Cartwright, a historic preservation consultant, compiled historic data, including a detailed description of the building, and completed the nomination forms for the church. Schraufnagel attended the state historic preservation review board meeting Oct. 23, although it wasn’t necessary.
According to Daina Penkiunas, national register coordinator, there are two ways a building can be considered for state historic register:
n A building can be identified using intensive surveys contracted by the community, which is then recommended to the state historic preservation board.
n An inquiry can be made by submitting a questionnaire providing information about the building, then the state historic preservation board will determine if it meets the criterion.
Schraufnagel started the questionnaire process in January. The State Historic Preservation Review Board meets quarterly to determine if applications are approved.
“The diocese can be assured that national register listing does not prevent them from doing anything to the property in the future,” Cartwright said. “Obviously you don’t want that to happen, but it assures the diocese that the church’s property rights will not be infringed upon.”
Schraufnagel said that having the church on the Wisconsin Historic Register is an honor. If it gets to the point where the building needs to be torn down, the preservation organization asks for 30-days notice so they can take pictures of the structure before it is removed. The church is still free to remodel or replace the building.
Next Schraufnagel hopes to get the building on the national historic register. He thinks it will take another four months to make that happen.
“History wasn’t always important to me,” Schraufnagel said. “I spent the first 65 years of my life looking to the future. Then I realized I accomplished the future and now I look back and remember what I enjoyed from years ago.”