Townline Road (township of Lyons, WI.)

Website: History Of St. Kilian Church




View Larger Map


Directions: Take Highway 50 (east) out of Lake Geneva. Turn right on South Road. Turn right on Townline Road. Pass Via Cassio. The cemtery will be on the left-hand side.




In the early part of the 1800's (around 1840-1850), Bavarian immigrants began to settle in an area of Walworth County, now known as Lyons township.

At the time, the closest Catholic church was located in Lake Geneva, and the services were all done in English. Between the long commute, and the language barrier becoming more and more of a hassle, the citizens of the area decided they wanted to form their own church. One that was closer to their homes, and could have the services done in their own native language (German).

On June 6th, 1856, the parish of St. Kilian was formed. With 3 acres of land donated by the Homann and Scheuermann families, a church was built. Known as the "little cathedral in the country", by it's paritioners, St. Kilian stayed a part of the country landscape for over 125 years.


Eventually, the church deteriorated, and could no longer be used as a place of worship. The end came at the hands of the Lake Geneva Fire Department, who used the church as a training exercise for it's members.


Today, the only things that remain of St. Kilian, is it's small cemetery, and a marker that sits on the spot the "little cathedral in the country" once stood.





  • Ghost sightings.

  • Unexplained shadows have been seen moving across the gravestones.

  • Sound of footsteps that seem to follow you around the cemetery.

  • Unexplained sounds.

  • Free-floating mists around the gravestones, that disappear when you approach them.

  • Sound of a ringing bell (possibly coming from a nearby residence).

  • Strange odors (possibly coming from a nearby swamp).




    • There is a story, that when St. Kilian was abandonned, black masses were held in the basement of the church. If true, could this be a possible reason for the high amount of paranormal activity in the cemetery? I don't think you can rule it out.








    ....(:19) Brief view of the St. Killian Cemetery