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Old St. Mary's Church (Tempe, Arizona) facts for kids

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Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church
(Old St. Mary's Church)
All Saints Catholic Newman Center - Arizona State University - Tempe, AZ - DSC05878.JPG
(2018)
Old St. Mary's Church (Tempe, Arizona) is located in Arizona
Old St. Mary's Church (Tempe, Arizona)
Location in Arizona
Old St. Mary's Church (Tempe, Arizona) is located in the United States
Old St. Mary's Church (Tempe, Arizona)
Location in the United States
Location 230 E. University Ave., Tempe, Arizona
Area 0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Built 1903
Architect Father Severin Westhoff
Architectural style Romanesque Revival
NRHP reference No. 78000552
Added to NRHP January 30, 1978

Old St. Mary's Church, also known as "The Old Church," is a historic building in Tempe, Arizona. It was built in 1903 and designed by Father Severin Westhoff. This church is the oldest one still standing in the Phoenix metropolitan area!

It served as a Catholic church for the people of Tempe until 1968. After that, it became home to the Arizona State University Newman Center. Today, it's a special place for Mary College at ASU, which focuses on Catholic studies. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is a unique example of the Romanesque Revival style in the Tempe area.

A Look at History and Design

Building a New Church

The church you see today was built in 1903. It replaced an older, smaller chapel made of adobe (a type of mud brick). That first chapel was built in 1881 for the Mexican people living in a village called San Pablo.

By 1891, Tempe became part of St. Mary's parish in Phoenix. The name "St. Mary's" is even on the cornerstone of the new brick church. Most of the people who helped build the new church were volunteers. Only two skilled bricklayers were hired from Phoenix.

What the Church Looks Like

This church is a great example of Romanesque Revival architecture. It was built with bricks made from clay and red soil from Fort McDowell. The church stands on a strong foundation of stone from the nearby Hayden Butte.

The building has twelve tall, arched stained-glass windows. Two are at the front, and five are on each side. There's also a beautiful stained-glass fanlight above the main door.

The church building is about 77 feet long and 40 feet wide. It has a steep, pointed roof. A square bell tower rises above the double-door entrance. This tower has an eight-sided steeple. Inside the tower is a bell made in St. Louis in 1903 just for this church. There's also a choir loft above the entrance and a basement below the ground.

Changes Over Time

The inside of the church was updated between 1937 and 1941. In 1957, the church community grew so much that they needed a bigger building. A new church, along with other buildings, was built on 10 acres of land.

The old church building was sold to the Newman Catholic Center in 1962. Services continued there until 1968. In 2019 and 2020, the inside of the church was renovated again. They added new paint and a mural (a large wall painting) of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The mural includes her famous words to St. Juan Diego: “Am I not here, I who have the honor of being your mother?”

Today, the historic church is used by Mary College at ASU as a study library. It can also be changed into a lecture hall or event space. The lower level has classrooms, offices, and computers for students.

See also

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