Church of the Sacred Heart (Freeport, Minnesota) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Church of the Sacred Heart (Catholic)
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The Church of the Sacred Heart viewed from the northwest
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 110 3rd Avenue NE, Freeport, Minnesota |
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| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1905–06 |
| Built by | Paul Koshiol |
| Architect | Parkinson & Dockendorff |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival, Romanesque Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 91000906 |
| Added to NRHP | July 12, 1991 |
The Church of the Sacred Heart is an old and important Roman Catholic church in Freeport, Minnesota. People built this church between 1905 and 1906. It was the third and biggest church for a group of German American settlers who started their community in 1881.
This church is special because it shows how important the Catholic church was in Freeport. It also shows how important it was for many other towns in Central Minnesota where German immigrants settled. Because of its history, the Church of the Sacred Heart was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
Contents
History of the Church
The Sacred Heart church group first belonged to a church in New Munich, Minnesota. The people of Freeport were mostly German-American. They asked the Diocese of St. Cloud for their own priest. Father Simplicius Wimmer came to help them start their own church.
First Church Building
Freeport's first church was made of wood. It was built in 1882. This building was about 70 feet long and 36 feet wide. A house for the priest, called a rectory, was added in 1890.
Second Church Building
The church group grew too big for the first wooden building. So, they built a new church in 1896. This second church was made of brick. It was much larger, about 154 feet long and 66 feet wide. It could hold 1,000 people. This building cost about $30,000 to finish. The first wooden church was given to another church group in St. Rose. It was moved about 5 miles north.
Third and Current Church Building
In 1904, lightning struck the 1896 church. The fire completely destroyed it. The church group immediately started to rebuild. Even the priest helped with the work! The third church building was even bigger and more beautiful than the second one. It was finished in 1906.
Building this new church cost about $115,000. It needed 38 train car loads of bricks to build it. Today, the Sacred Heart church is part of a group of churches. This group includes Immaculate Conception in New Munich and St. Rose of Lima in St. Rosa, Minnesota.
See also
- List of Catholic churches in the United States
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Stearns County, Minnesota
