St. Peter's Austrian Roman Catholic Church - Anaconda, MT
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
N 46° 07.542 W 112° 56.705
12T E 349730 N 5109852
In the Goosetown Historic District this church is by far the largest and most impressive building. Beginning to show its age as a result of recent neglect, it is nonetheless a very beautiful and impressive edifice.
Waymark Code: WMKM6B
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 04/30/2014
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member silverquill
Views: 4

It's possible that finances prevent this church's receiving at least a coat of paint and as a result its peeling paint detracts somewhat from its outward appearance. Still, it remains a beautiful High Victorian Gothic building, with much adornment and embellishment to keep the eye busy while in its presence.

The National Register has an incorrect address for this church. It is not at 714 Alder Street, but at 405 Alder Street, on the corner of Alder Street and East Fourth Street. As well, no plaque was to be found at the site. With the construction of a new Catholic Church on the north side of town the church holds irregular masses.
Anaconda architect W. W. Hyslop designed St. Peter’s Austrian Roman Catholic Church, constructed in 1898. Its contrasting colors, pointed arches, side buttresses, tall pointed steeple, ornate terra cotta panels, and rose window reflect the High Victorian Gothic style. Built as an alternative to the Irish-dominated St. Paul’s Church, St. Peter’s primarily served Anaconda’s Croatian, Slovenian, and Montenegrin community. For Slavic smelter workers and their families, whose home countries were then part of the Austrian empire, the church helped ease the transition to America. Father John Pirnat, himself from Slovenia, was instrumental in convincing the diocese to construct St. Peter’s. He served as the church’s pastor for over fifty years, raising the funds for the 1902 rear addition as well as for many other Anaconda Catholic institutions. Father Pirnat often preached in Serbo-Croatian, performed traditional Slavic funeral and wedding services, and led the church in celebrating such ethnic holidays as Mesopust (a pre-Lenten carnival). In so doing, he made St. Peter’s a pillar of Anaconda’s Slavic community and an important bridge between the old and new worlds.
From the Montana History Wiki
Name of Historic District (as listed on the NRHP): Goosetown Historic District

Link to nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com page with the Historic District: [Web Link]

NRHP Historic District Waymark (Optional): [Web Link]

Address:
405 Alder Street Anaconda, MT 59711


How did you determine the building to be a contributing structure?: Narrative found on the internet (Link provided below)

Optional link to narrative or database: [Web Link]

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