CHURCHES ARE FRANGIBLE.

By the criteria of the Anglican Communion, the first proper city in the United States is Milwaukee, where the first Episcopal cathedral was set up in the middle of the nineteenth century.  All Saints Cathedral and its complex, rendered in Cream City brick, are listed buildings not far from downtown.

Recall from about two weeks ago (it sure feels longer) that I mentioned St. Paul's Episcopal Church, in the shadow of Milwaukee's Lincoln High School.  That church is also a listed building, with New England's H. H. Richardson collaborating with a Milwaukee architect in its design.

Should the Spanish Armada round Whitefish Point and a lookout be atop the west tower, that signal fire means something other than a brat fry.  On last weekend's trip to Milwaukee, I had some time before Saturday's German Fest concerts got under way, and the streetcar conveniently runs close to these churches.

At St. Paul's, two congregants were installing a sun-sail, the better to be able to have post-worship fellowship with coffee in the churchyard.

They let me know of several other listed churches, designed by the Milwaukee architect who collaborated with Richardson on St. Paul's.  That's the steeple of one of them at left background.  That's right, All Saints Cathedral.  There's a very American origin story for two Episcopal churches so close by up on Yankee Hill.

Within any organization, dissidents can raise their voice against the establishment, or they can transfer their loyalty to another organization, or start a new organization. Look at the map of New England. Each of those clusters of towns (e.g. Newton, Newton Center, Newton Highlands, West Newton, Newton Abbott, Newton Gingrich) memorializes irreconcilable differences at some town meeting clear back to the Mayflower Compact. Churches are particularly frangible.

So it transpired in Milwaukee, the Episcopalians who liked the Catholic trappings got their cathedral, and Milwaukee satisfying Canterbury's criteria for a city, while the Episcopalians who didn't want that sort of High Church stuff established St. Paul's.

Then it was time to head to the lakefront.

A Chipotle in the old John Ernst Cafe complex still takes some getting used to, although there was never a streetcar bending the corner around back when that was John Ernst's.