The centre of St. Patrick's sanctuary was built in 1882-84 and, given that it served the largest, and likely the fastest growing, congregation in Butte, it wasn't long until it was bursting at the seams. In 1896 the two wings (or aisles) were added, more than doubling the area of the sanctuary.
In the 1940s a major renovation was undertaken, so we can't say for certain what exterior embellishments are original to the 1884 and 1896 construction. It is likely, however, that essentially all of what we see today was part of the church at the turn of the twentieth century. Some of the more notable items which we see today are the very tall central spire, erupting from the gable peak over the entrance, a series of heavy buttresses down each sidewall and a total of six small cross gabled stone spires, one at each change of roof angle across the front. Each little spire is topped with a rendition of a flower or flowering plant that looks very much like a small two tiered fountain.
Though this is a guess we feel it is quite likely that the spire and belfry are clad in copper sheeting, the metal without which Butte would never have come into existence. At the four corners of the top of the belfry are mounted four more cross gabled spires which match the stone ones below, but this time done in metal.
ST. PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
Butte's early Catholic community built its first parish church, a temporary wooden structure, west of this site in 1879. Father John Dols, the first pastor, arrived in the spring of 1881. The following year the cornerstone for a new church was laid, and formal dedication of St. Patrick's took place in 1884. Two one-story wings were added to the original central portion in 1896, shaping the structure to its present appearance. Although exterior remodelling has somewhat altered St. Patrick's original facade, the graceful spire and elegant Gothic arches reflect its original design.
From the plaque at the church