St. Paul Roman Catholic Church (St. Paul, Oregon) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Paul Roman Catholic Church
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| Location | St. Paul, Oregon |
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| Area | French Prairie |
| Built | 1846 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002098 |
| Added to NRHP | October 16, 1979 |
St. Paul Roman Catholic Church in St. Paul, Oregon, United States, is a very old and important building. It was the first church in Oregon to be built with bricks. This happened way back in 1846! It's also the oldest brick building in the whole Pacific Northwest region. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This list helps protect important places in the United States.
How the Church Started
Long ago, in 1836, some French Canadian settlers lived in an area called the French Prairie in Oregon. They built a small church from logs near the Willamette River. This log cabin church was later moved to St. Paul. It served as their community church for many years.
The settlers really wanted a religious leader. They asked the Roman Catholic Church for help in 1834 and again in 1836. The Church then sent several priests to Oregon Country. One of these priests was named François Norbert Blanchet.
Blanchet got permission from the Hudson's Bay Company to move south. He held the first Catholic Mass in the Willamette Valley on January 6, 1839. He even lived behind the altar of the log church! Later, in 1843, the Pope made Blanchet an archbishop for the Oregon area.
Building the New Church
Sadly, the original log church burned down. The people decided to build a new church. This time, they wanted it to be made of strong bricks.
On May 24, 1846, they laid the first stone for the new red-brick building. When it was finished, Archbishop Blanchet officially opened the new church. This happened on November 1, 1846.
See also
- St. Paul's Mission, at Kettle Falls, Washington
- List of the oldest churches in the United States
