County of church: Franklin County
Location of church: MO-YY & Krakow Loop, Krakow
Phone: (636) 239-4216
"The church is located 55 highway miles west of downtown Saint Louis, in rural Franklin County.
"Note the metal roof on the church. This is an excellent, but nowadays rarely-used building material. The tower is rather unusual.
"The parish was founded in 1845, and was originally Polish.
"The church seems to have been recently renovated. The odor of fresh paint was obvious. Clear glass windows line the sides of the church." ~ Rome of the West
"Franklin County in the State of Missouri was settled during the 1830’s and 1840’s. The need for the establishment of Catholic Church parishes in the county was widely recognized. The first of these would be St. Francis Borgia Parish, in Washington. In August 1845, a second Catholic Parish was founded south of Washington. This would be St. Gertrude Parish, located in Krakow, Missouri.
"Two parishioners purchased the 40 acres of land on which the parish is now located in 1846. The parcel of land on which the present St. Gertrude Church is located was added to this property later. November 23, 1856 saw the dedication of the original section of the Church. This structure was expanded in 1864, toward the east with the addition of a sacristy and two small rooms for the visiting priest to stay in when he came for Mass, and to the west with the addition of a bell tower and a church basement. On November 21, 1869, the Church was formally dedicated, and the basic structure of the Church has remained the same to present time.
"In 1880 or 1881, the rectory was built at St. Gertrude. This is the present rectory, but only the first floor. The second story would be added around 1909. In 1882 the School Sisters of Notre Dame arrived at St. Gertrude. Within a few years a combination school/convent building was erected. This would be completed in August 1888.
"St. Gertrude was served first by the members of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). The Jesuits departed from St. Gertrude in 1894. The Franciscans would take over. The St. Louis diocesan clergy came to St. Gertrude beginning January 1, 1901.
"In 1941 a thorough renovation of the Church began. On October 24, 1945, St. Gertrude celebrated the 100th anniversary of its establishment as a parish. In 1959, the first section of the present school was built, consisting of four classrooms and the large cafeteria (now used as the school library). Subsequent additions would be added over the years, with the final addition completed in the summer of 2003. A new convent was built for the sisters in 1960. The old school and convent were demolished.
In 1958, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish was established in Washington. At that time, the present boundaries of St. Gertrude Parish were established." ~ Church Web Site "Our History"