Church of the Holy Family - Cahokia, Illinois
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 38° 34.217 W 090° 11.319
15S E 744927 N 4272840
A log Catholic Church built in 1799 is listed as a National Historic Landmark.
Waymark Code: WMAMR
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 04/16/2006
Views: 38
The Holy Family Parish Log Church in Cahokia, Illinois is the oldest continuously sited church in the state of Illinois. The Parish was established in May, 1699. The original log church was destroyed by a fire in the 1730's and the subsequent church was also destroyed by fire in 1783.
The present church, with a capacity of over 100 people, was dedicated in 1799. The church's construction is typical of the French Creole architecture of the era. Built in the post-on-sill manner, a vertical log style that uses hewn walnut logs placed upright on a horizontal base. The roof timbers are oak, and the roof itself is made of cypress clapboards covered by sycamore and the church is held together entirely with wooden pegs instead of nails. In l949 the church was restored in time for the parish’s 250th anniversary.
The church is open to visitors from Memorial Day through Labor Day, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Each Sunday Latin Mass is held at 9:00 AM.
Street address:
116 Church Street
Cahokia, Illinois
62206
County / Borough / Parish: St. Clair
Year listed: 1970
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Oldest Catholic Church still in use in Illinois
Periods of significance: 1799-2006
Historic function: Catholic Church
Current function: Catholic Church
Privately owned?: yes
Season start / Season finish: From: 05/31/2006 To: 09/01/2006
Hours of operation: From: 10:00 AM To: 4:00 PM
Primary Web Site: Not listed
Secondary Website 1: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.