Construction of the St. John’s Cathedral was started in 1847 and the building was
dedicated in 1853. John Martin Henni, then the head of the local Catholic Church,
spear-headed its construction. It is located at 812 N. Jackson Street and has been
the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee for the past 150 years. In 1935 a
fire destroyed most of the cathedral except for the bell tower and portions of the
north and south walls. Reconstruction on the Cathedral began almost immediately and
the cathedral was rededicated eight years later in 1943. E. Brielmaier & Sons, a
prominent Milwaukee architectural firm, took part in the restoration of the
cathedral. One of the specialties of this architectural firm was the design of
churches. The church was renovated in 2002.
