TOWN OF ELDORADO, Wis. – The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Peniel Chapel in the Town of Eldorado (Fond du Lac County) on the State Register of Historic Places. State Historic Preservation Officer Tricia Canaday presented a certificate to Carolee Schultz, Kirsten Buckstaff and Kate Bissen.
The founders of the Welsh Settlement in Fond du Lac and Winnebago Counties planned to create an agrarian community of Welsh farmers that spoke Welsh for business, education and worship. A critical component of Welsh life was the church, which was intertwined with Welsh leisure and social activities every day of the week. Peniel Chapel, constructed in the Eldorado township in the southern part of the Settlement in 1856, acted as the religious and social center. Welsh language was used for religious services, community events, festivals and social clubs that reflected their Welsh identity.
In Wisconsin, Welsh immigration peaked in the late 19th century, and by the Settlement’s centennial in 1947, only two of the five original houses of worship remained, including Peniel Chapel. As future generations assimilated into the surrounding area, Peniel Chapel helped preserve many aspects of Welsh culture, especially through cultural events. The principal annual event, the Gymanfa Ganu, or singing festival, is the longest running event in the state that preserves Welsh musical traditions through the practice of Welsh four-part congregational hymn singing. The Gymanfa Ganu continues today on the fourth Sunday of August at Peniel Chapel.
The State Register is Wisconsin’s official list of state properties determined to be significant to Wisconsin’s heritage. The State Historic Preservation Office at the Wisconsin Historical Society administers both the State Register and National Register in Wisconsin.
Additional information for the Peniel Chapel is available at: https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI59772
To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit: www.wisconsinhistory.org.
About the Wisconsin Historical Society
The Wisconsin Historical Society, founded in 1846, ranks as one of the largest, most active and most diversified state historical societies in the nation. As both a state agency and a private membership organization, its mission is to help people connect to the past by collecting, preserving and sharing stories. The Wisconsin Historical Society serves millions of people every year through a wide range of sites, programs and services. For more information, visit wisconsinhistory.org.
