Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Art History and Visual Culture

Department

Art

First Advisor

Trent Olsen

Second Advisor

Nadia McDonald

Third Advisor

James Hutson

Abstract

This project focuses on the histories and architecture of six nineteenth- and early twentieth-century churches in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and developing a museum program about them. The aim of the project is to add to the art historical knowledge of Midwest architecture by researching the Greek Revival architecture used by First Baptist Church of Sheboygan; the Gothic Revival styles used by Grace Episcopal Church, St. Luke United Methodist Church, Hope Reformed Church, and St. Clement Catholic Church; and the Byzantine ornamentation used by St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church. Furthermore, this project uses the historical findings to create a museum public program featuring a lecture and walking tour about these six Sheboygan churches.

Research Highlights

  • The Problem: Residents of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, recognize local historic churches as landmarks but lack awareness of their art historical importance and the specific significance of their architectural designs to their original congregations. 

  • The Method: This project utilizes a qualitative methodological approach combining visual analysis of architectural elements with archival research conducted at the Sheboygan County Museum, Sheboygan County Historical Research Center, Mead Public Library, and specific church archives. 

  • Quantitative Finding: The study examines 6 specific nineteenth- and early twentieth-century churches; the U.S. federal government appropriated Sheboygan land in 1833; Sheboygan was incorporated as a village in 1846; the city population reached 5,310 in 1870; 250 Jewish families immigrated to the area in the 1890s. 

  • Qualitative Finding: Religious structures in Sheboygan evolved from small private residence gatherings to monumental buildings that reflected the diversity of early settlers through Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, and Byzantine architectural styles. 

  • Finding: The research findings were applied to develop a public museum program for the Sheboygan County Museum, featuring a teacher-centered narrative lecture and an interpreter-led walking tour to increase community engagement with local ecclesiastical art.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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