Waterford prepares for the heartbreak of seeing its oldest church come down – Journal Times

WATERFORD The bells of St. Thomas may soon chime no more.

Leaders of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church have made the difficult decision to demolish a historic old sanctuary that might be the oldest church in Waterford.

The 1880 structure at 300 S. First St. is a cornerstone of the Catholic community in Waterford, with a towering steeple whose bells can be heard chiming every day.

But church leaders say the structure is in disrepair and that the cost of repairing it is simply too much.

Blaise Beaulier, the churchs director of administration, said officials are taking steps to prepare for razing the deteriorated chapel. Although no timetable has been set, he said, officials hope to complete the demolition sooner rather than later.

The future of the old church building has been under consideration for the past two years, Beaulier said.

While he acknowledged the buildings historic and sentimental value, he said there are no other options.

Its a very emotional thing, he said. We have to make decisions that are in the best interests for St. Thomas.

Historic preservation advocates are saddened to hear that a piece of Waterford history soon will be gone.

Robert Gariepy, a member of the Waterford Heritage Committee, said he and others tried to get the St. Thomas church a state historic landmark designation that might protect it from demolition.

State officials denied the request, he said, because of cosmetic changes that have altered the original appearance.

Gariepy said the building remains the oldest church in Waterford, and many people will miss hearing the bells chime each day from the clock and bell tower.

Its just heartbreaking, he said. A lot of people do not want to see that icon go.

Built for $20,000 just a few years after the U.S. Civil War, the church replaced an original St. Thomas chapel that had stood in Waterford since 1851. A growing parish demanded more room for Sunday worship in the 1880s.

The chapel served generations of church-goers until 2007 when an adjacent former Catholic school was razed and a new St. Thomas Church was built in its place at 305 S. First St.

The parish currently serves about 900 families.

The old 1880 structure currently serves as the location for a food pantry. Church leaders are relocating the food pantry in preparation for demolition of the old house of worship.

Sarah Crupi, a member of the St. Thomas pastoral council, said she and her colleagues have reluctantly come to the realization that they do not have enough money to restore the property.

Noting that similar historic landmarks are preserved elsewhere around the world, Crupi called it a shame to lose part of Waterfords history.

Its pretty sad, she said.

Gariepy, who also is a member of the St. Thomas parish, said he heard estimates in excess of $1 million for the cost of repairing the 1880 church. An earlier estimate, he said, showed it would cost $250,000 just to restore the bell tower and steeple.

Unless a large donor comes forward to help, Gariepy said, he sees no hope of staving off the wrecking ball.

I dont know of any other way, he said.

St. Thomas leaders will need approval from the Catholic archbishop of Milwaukee to move ahead with demolition. A spokeswoman said Monday the archbishop had not yet received a request regarding the Waterford church.

Beaulier said stained glass windows and other important artifacts have been moved into the new church. Other materials will be salvaged and preserved for some sort of tribute to the old chapel, he said.

Our intent is to further capture the memory and essence of the building, he said. We plan to continue moving forward to best serve our parishioners and our surrounding community with the decisions we have made.

The farmhouse is one of the few reminders of the once rural landscape of Madison's Far West Side. Formerly Uno Pizzeria, the house is now part of a housing development of apartments along Mineral Point Road.

This undated aerial photo shows a more recent layout of the farm along Mineral Point Road.

The former Uno Pizzeria & Grill that was housed for 26 years in a historic farmhouse closed in 2016, but the 132-year-old building is being preserved as part of a 64-unit workforce housing development along Mineral Point Road. The house will soon be moved to a new foundation, lower left, closer to the road and will be used for a community room, kitchen and fitness center.

The former Uno Pizzeria & Grill that for 26 years was in a historic farmhouse at 7601 Mineral Point Road is slated to be moved closer to the roadway to make room for a multifamily development.

Construction workers with Connery Construction prepare the site where the farmhouse will be moved in the coming weeks.

In 1980, the Shopko under construction along Mineral Point Road was on the edge of farmland and much of the Far West Side had not been developed. Mineral Point Road is on the left and West Towne Mall in the background.

Awnings and other modern additions to the 1890 farmhouse, seen here in 2015, are being removed to restore the building to more of its original look.

The gathering room of a restored interior of an historic farmhouse that once housed Pizzeria UNO restaurant at the new UNO Terrace housing development on Mineral Point Road in Madison, Wis. Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL

The restored farmhouse's exterior is largely unchanged but the interior has been modernized to serve as a community room for the residents of Uno Terrace.

Northpointe Development design manager Emily OBrien walks through one of 64 living units at Uno Terrace. The apartments and town homes include granite counter tops and a washer and dryer in each unit. The development was completed in September and only a few units remain available to rent.

To accommodate a new, adjacent apartment building, the historic farmhouse was moved closer to Mineral Point Road. The project also add a large outdoor patio and porch.

Northpointe Development design manager Emily OBrien enters a commons area from inside a restored farmhouse that has been incorporated into the Uno Terrace.

Emily and Sean OBrien of Northpointe Development show off the remodeled interior of a more than 130-year-old farmhouse along Mineral Point Road. Now part of Uno Terrace, the farmhouse is serving as a community room for the 64-unit housing development.

A childrens play area in a gathering room at the Uno Terrace housing development honors the history of a restored farmhouse which once was home to a Pizzeria Uno.

A quatrefoil window, one of the signature design elements of an historic farmhouse which has been incorporated into the new Uno Terrace housing development in Madison.

An historic farmhouse that once house Pizzeria Uno has been restored and incorporated into the new Uno Terrace housing development on Mineral Point Road in Madison.

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Waterford prepares for the heartbreak of seeing its oldest church come down - Journal Times