Stoughton Universalist Church

Stoughton, United States

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Find out more

Built in 1858 in Stoughton, Wisconsin, this Greek Revival church was designed by architect Stephen Vaughan Shipman for the town's newly formed Universalist congregation, founded that same year by settlers including the community's namesake, Luke Stoughton. Constructed of cream brick hauled from Milwaukee by oxen, the rectangular structure measures 51 by 31 feet and features brick pilasters dividing its walls into panels that frame tall windows, with gable ends framing pediments and a moderate-pitched roof crowned by a large white square steeple. Beyond its role as a place of worship, the building served as a community hub, accommodating other denominations, public meetings in its basement, and local schools. The Universalist congregation proved notably progressive, calling a woman pastor as early as 1869—decades before such appointments became common. After the congregation ceased meeting in 1938, the Stoughton Historical Society acquired the building in 1960 and has since adapted its interior as a museum while preserving its exterior character. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Movement

Greek Revival architecture

Built: 1858
Type: church building
Materials: brick
Heritage: listed in the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places, National Register of Historic Places listed place
Place: Stoughton, United States

This building on

Architecturally similar

Location

42.91611, -89.22361