Ryan Wisniewski
University Presbyterian Church and Student Center
University Presbyterian Church and Student Center
731 State St.
Designed by Madison architect Edward Tough, "Pres House" was completed in 1935, making it the youngest of city landmark churches. It has been judged Tough's best work. It has a mixture of Gothic and Tudor features, and its 70-foot square stone tower is a striking anchor for nearby Library Mall.
The congregation's roots go back to 1901, when a Presbyterian Student Union was organized. Its original home was at Christ Church, 124 Wisconsin Ave. (since demolished). That facility was judged to be too far from campus. A State Street student center opened in 1921, and efforts were soon underway to build today's more expansive facility.
It is one of several religious centers created expressly for UW students. Nearby St. Francis Episcopal, 1011 University Ave., was built in 1925. Designed by Eschweiler and Eschweiler of Milwaukee, it has a cottage-like Tudor-Revival style. The Crossing, 1127 University Ave., on the corner with North Charter Street, is a student Christian center formed by the merger of Madison Campus Ministry and the Wesley and Wayland Foundations. It was only the second Wesley Foundation facility anywhere. Work on its church began in 1923.
