St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Addition & Renovation

Originally built in 1858, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in historic Portage, Wisconsin, needed significant upgrades to keep up with the growing parish. Upgrades to the church included creating a new centrally accessible entrance, adding gathering space, increasing accessibility to the facilities, adding a kitchen and fellowship hall, restrooms, and a complete renovation of the nave, sacristy, and sanctuary – all while maintaining the look and feel of the historic church. At the beginning of construction, Kraemer Brothers reinforced the structure in the existing church by pouring new footings and installing new floor beams in the areas of crumbling brick footings and rotten wood beams. The wood framing in the bell tower was replaced, ensuring it was structurally sound. Staying true to the architectural style and integrity of the existing church, the exterior of the building was constructed of brick and stone. Interior finishes and furnishings include a new reredos wall, new pews, carpeting, tiling, ceilings, and painting while the interior brick, wood beams, stained-glass windows, and the Stations-of-the-Cross remained preserved and reinstalled from the existing church. The old pews were re-milled and used for trim throughout the building and around the specially constructed windows and door frames.