St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church and Parish House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church and Parish House
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 Location in South Dakota
Location in the United States
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| Location | Yankton and Lidice Sts., Tabor, South Dakota |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1898 (church), 1910 (parish house) |
| Built by | August O. Goetz |
| Architectural style | Czech folk architecture |
| NRHP reference No. | 84000579 |
| Added to NRHP | December 13, 1984 |
St. Wenceslaus Parish is a Catholic church located in Tabor, South Dakota. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls. The church building is very old and has an interesting history.
The church and its nearby parish house are important historical buildings. They were officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 13, 1984. This listing recognized them as special examples of Czech folk architecture in southeastern South Dakota.
Contents
A Look Back at History
Early Days and First Church
Czech immigrants from a region called Bohemia started moving to this area in 1868. At that time, it was known as the Dakota Territory. These new settlers began holding church services by 1871.
Their first church building was made from chalk rock. People from the community worked together for free to build it. This first church was finished in 1874.
Building the Current Church
The first church quickly became too small for the growing community. So, a new, larger church was built in 1898. This is the red brick church you see today.
A few years later, in 1910, a parish house was also built. It was made in a similar style to the new church. A builder named August Goetz was in charge of constructing the church.
The Parish School
A brick schoolhouse and a dormitory were added to the church complex between 1903 and 1904. This school provided education for the children of the parish.
The school moved to a new location in 1960. However, it closed its doors in 1970. Today, the old school building is used by the Bon Homme School District.
