Spot A Clock: St. Stanislaus Church

This month’s ‘Spot a Clock’ is the St. Stanislaus Church, located at 524 West Historic Mitchell Street in Milwaukee.

The parish in this area was founded by Polish Catholic immigrants in 1866. The building was designed by Polish nobleman Leonard Kowalski, one of Milwaukee’s early Polish residents. Construction started using an old frame building purchased from nearby St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church. The building was completed in 1871.

The building’s most notable features are its twin spires. Architectural drawings of the building can be viewed at the Milwaukee Public Library.

Each of the spires houses a four sided clock. According to research completed by Joseph Baier, the clock movements were produced by Mathias Schwalbach. Mr. Baier also indicates the movements are no longer present.

According to the church’s website, the clocks were renovated in 1960. As part of the renovation, the domes were removed, reconstructed with aluminum covered steel, covered with gold leaf, and placed back on the spires. The clocks were also reconstructed, with new movements.

If you would like to suggest a clock for the newsletter’s ‘Spot a Clock’, please contact Ed Buc at the Chapter meetings.