Church of St. Mary (Melrose, Minnesota) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St. Mary |
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Church of St. Boniface
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The Church of St. Mary in 2015
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 203 5th Avenue Southeast, Melrose, Minnesota |
| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1899 (church), 1907 (rectory) |
| Built by | E. D. Richmond |
| Architect | George Bergmann |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival (church), Queen Anne (rectory) |
| NRHP reference No. | 93001234 |
| Designated | November 12, 1993 |
The Church of St. Mary was an old and important Catholic church in Melrose, Minnesota, United States. It used to be called the Church of St. Boniface. This church and its nearby building, called a rectory (where the priest lived), were special. They showed how important churches were to German-American families in Minnesota a long time ago. Because of their history, they were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.
Sadly, a big fire badly damaged the Church of St. Mary on March 11, 2016. The church building was later taken down starting in May 2020. A new church was built close by to replace it.
Contents
History of the Church
Starting the Parish
The church community, called a parish, was started in 1878. It was founded by German immigrants who had moved to the area. This was six years after another church, St. Patrick's, was started by Irish immigrants nearby.
The very first church building was made of wood. It was built in 1879 and cost about $3,000. A few years later, in 1882, the community also started a Catholic school and a convent.
Building the Main Church
The main church building you see in old pictures was finished in 1898. It cost $50,000 to build. After the new church was ready, the old wooden building became the school. However, that old school building was destroyed in a fire in 1910.
Merging Parishes
In 1958, the leader of the local Catholic area, the bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud, made a decision. He decided that St. Boniface and St. Patrick's churches would join together. They formed a new parish called St. Mary's.
The St. Patrick's church building was getting too small for its growing community. So, in 1970, the St. Patrick's church building was taken down. The Church of St. Mary then became the main church for the combined parish. Today, this church is part of a group of four churches. These churches are in Meire Grove, Greenwald, and Spring Hill.
The Fire and Demolition
On March 11, 2016, a big fire seriously damaged the Church of St. Mary. Luckily, no one was hurt in the fire. Firefighters put out the blaze before the roof or outside walls were completely destroyed.
Investigators later said that the fire had been set on purpose. Many people in the community wanted to fix the old church, which was 122 years old. However, despite their efforts, the building began to be taken down on May 19, 2020.
See also
- List of Catholic churches in the United States
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Stearns County, Minnesota
