St. George's Roman Catholic Church (Louisville) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
St. George's Roman Catholic Church and Rectory
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Kentucky Show map of Kentucky Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	1809 Standard Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky
Area	.89 acres (0.36 ha) (original) 2 acres (0.81 ha) (increased)
Built	1909
Architect	Frederick Erhart
Architectural style	Renaissance, Bungalow/Craftsman; Neo-Baroque
NRHP reference No.	82001563 and 96000293
Added to NRHP	October 29, 1982 (original) March 27, 1996 (increase)

St. George's Roman Catholic Church is a beautiful and historic building in Louisville, Kentucky. It was built in 1915 and has a special style called Neo-Baroque. This means it looks like buildings from the Baroque period, which was a long time ago.

The church is very important. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1982. This list helps protect important buildings across the United States. In 1996, the listing was made even bigger to include more of the church's property.

How St. George's Church Started

The St. George's community, also known as a parish, began in 1897. At first, a church, a rectory (where the priests live), and a school were built. These first buildings were located on 18th Street in an area called Marysville. This area later became part of Louisville.

Many people were moving into this working-class neighborhood. Because of the growing population, a new church was needed. A famous architect from Louisville, Frederick Erhart, was hired to design it. This new church was built in a style called Romanesque Revival. It was officially opened in 1910. The older church building was then used to make the school bigger. More additions were made to the school later on.

Moving the Rectory in 1915

In 1915, the original rectory building was moved. It used to face 18th Street, but it was moved to Standard Avenue. When it was moved, it got a new foundation and a brick outside.

A larger, two-story rectory was then built where the old one used to be. This new rectory was connected to the church by a hallway. The number of people in the area kept growing. So, a new, three-story catholic school was finished in 1923. It was also built along Standard Avenue. The school was made even larger in 1935 with a two-story addition. This addition included a smokestack and a boiler system, plus two small sheds.

Church Relocation and Growth in 1925

Two years later, in 1925, a major road called the Dixie Highway was created along 18th Street. This road is now known as U.S. Route 31W. The new highway brought a lot more traffic. Because of this, 18th Street was made wider to have four lanes.

Also, the Louisville & Nashville Railroad changed many of its train crossings. They replaced crossings that were at the same level as the road with underpasses. Because of these big changes, the church property was affected. So, in October 1925, the church building itself was moved. It was relocated to face Standard Avenue, just like the rectory.

The neighborhood continued to grow, and the church needed to expand again. However, World War II started, which delayed any new construction. After the war ended, in 1947, a new expansion project began. This project included a gymnasium and more classrooms. It was completed in two steps, finishing in 1948. The very last building project was a two-story convent (a home for nuns), which was finished in 1959.

The church was moved at some point in its history. The NRHP listing was updated in 1996 to include the rectory and other buildings on the property.

See also

• Saint George: Devotions, traditions and prayers