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 Former St. Mary's Catholic Church - Butte, MT Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 46° 01.019 W 112° 32.157
12T E 381104 N 5097081
From 1933 until 1978 St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church was the major church of the Irish community in Butte.
Waymark Code: WMWF6Z
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 08/26/2017
Views: 1
Built in 1931-32-33, St. Mary's replaced the earlier wood framed church which burned in August of 1931. Built entirely of brick on a concrete foundation, the façade would be perfectly symmetrical were it not for the large square bell tower/steeple on the northwest corner. The building has all Roman arched windows on the façade and down the sides of the sanctuary, with the exception of a large round window centered above the entry, also with a Roman arched transom filled with stained glass. Windows and belfry vents are also Roman arched to match those of the rest of the building. The top of the tower, instead of a tall, slender spire, is topped with a shallow hipped roof. Brick corbelling and various patterns of multi colored brick help to emphasize the church's façade and make it stand out from its contemporaries on the block.
Further information, below, is from a historical marker at the church.
CHURCH REBUILT
The building across the street is the second St. Mary's Church. The first burned on Aug. 31, 1931. Bishop George Finnegan came from Helena the same day, conferred with pastor Father James Nolan and other church authorities and authorized construction of a new church, immediately commissioning an architect. Volunteers accomplished a majority of work on the new church. After putting in their shifts in the mines, the men of the parish donated many hours every day to the church's construction. The basement and outer contours of the church were completed for the laying of the cornerstone in less than four months. Masses and other church functions were held in the basement of the church for the next year and a half. The first Mass in the completed church occurred May 21, 1933.
LIFE'S TRANSITIONS
St. Mary's Church served parishioners through a lifetime of transitions - Baptism, Confession, Communion, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Matrimony, and funeral Mass. The church remains in the hearts of those who worshipped there. St. Mary's Parish was combined with St. Lawrence O'Toole Parish in 1978. The Diocese of Helena closed both churches in 1986. The final Mass at St. Mary's was said on June 29, 1986.
From the Historical Marker
ST. MARY'S CHURCH
Square towers, a central circular window, and stained glass grace this Catholic church, which long represented the heart and soul of Butte’s Irish community. St. Mary’s Parish, founded in 1902 by Bishop John Brondel, encompassed a neighborhood of miners and tradesmen. Fire destroyed the original St. Mary’s Church on Wyoming Street in August of 1931. Pastor J. M. Nolan and his congregation laid the cornerstone for this church the following December on land donated by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. The new St. Mary’s remained an integral part of community life until the parishes of St. Lawrence O’Toole and St. Mary combined in 1978. Today St. Mary’s houses the headquarters of Our Lady of the Rockies Foundation.
From the NRHP plaque at the building
Type of Church: Church
Status of Building: Building converted to another use
Date of building construction: 05/21/1933
Dominant Architectural Style: Italianate
Diocese: Diocese of Great Falls Billings
Address/Location:
434 North Main Street
Butte, MT United States
59701
Relvant Web Site: [Web Link]
Date of organization: Not listed
Associated Shrines, Art, etc.: Not listed
Archdiocese: Not listed
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