Church of St. Adrian–Catholic facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Church of St. Adrian--Catholic
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | Main and Church Sts., Adrian, Minnesota |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1900 |
| Architect | Foeller, Henry |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| MPS | Nobles County MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002094 |
| Added to NRHP | May 15, 1980 |
The Church of St. Adrian–Catholic is a really old and important church building. You can find it in Adrian, Minnesota, right on Main and Church Streets. This church has a long history and is a special part of the town.
History of St. Adrian Church
Starting a New Parish
Back in the late 1870s, a leader named Bishop John Ireland saw that southwestern Minnesota was growing. He asked Mayor Ben Thompson to look for good spots to build churches. In 1877, Bishop Ireland started a new church group, called a parish, in Adrian.
At that time, Adrian was very small. It only had three houses, two stores, one hotel, and a train stop. There was only one Catholic person living there. Father C. J. Knauf was the first priest for this new parish. The church was named after Saint Adrian, who was known as a warrior.
Building the Church
The first church building was made of wood. It was built in 1878 and cost about $700. Later, in 1887, a new building was constructed. This one was made of brick.
Sadly, this brick church was destroyed by a fire. The fire happened on December 24, 1899. After the fire, people worked hard to raise money for a new church. They collected $30,000 for the new building.
The first stone for the new church was placed on July 4, 1900. The church members started worshiping in this new building the next year. This beautiful church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This means it is recognized as an important historical site.
Today's Parish
Today, the Church of St. Adrian is part of a group of four churches. This group includes the Church of St. Kilian in Wilmont Township. It also includes St. Anthony in Lismore and Our Lady of Good Counsel in Wilmont.
