This month’s ‘Spot a Clock’ is St. Hedwig, located at 1702 North Humboldt Avenue in Milwaukee.
While Milwaukee’s south side is well known for its Polish immigrants, the north side also served as a Polish enclave. Many of these Poles came from Prussia. Initially, residents wishing to attend mass traveled to St. Stanislaus, which was founded by Polish Catholic immigrants in 1866. The residents eventually banded together to form their own parish in 1871, building a small wooden church on the corner of Brady and Humboldt and naming it after a queen of Poland.
Quickly outgrowing the wooden church, construction of the current church was started in 1886. Designed by Henry Messner, the Romanesque style church features cream city brisk and a copper cladded spire.
Information regarding the clock movements could not be found. According to church records, the clock was a gift from Mr. J. Jung, a non-Catholic. The movements were partially replaced during repairs in 1941.
The most recent phase of restoration, conducted on its copper spire, was completed in 2006. The church interior features beautiful stained glass windows and a Holtkamp pipe organ.
