Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church - Helena, MT
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
N 46° 35.296 W 112° 01.533
12T E 421434 N 5159922
Consisting of four buildings, the entire House of the Good Shepherd Convent was built between 1888 and 1895. This was initially the church of the convent.
Waymark Code: WMXM2G
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 01/27/2018
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member fi67
Views: 1

Begun in 1889 by Sisters of the Good Shepherd from St. Paul, Minnesota, the convent was built to house troubled girls and young women. In all, the convent consisted of three brick buildings and a wood framed building. By 1890 demand was such that the dormitory was built to house the growing number of girls in the sisters' care. The dormitory also served as the school and, later, a commercial laundry was established in the basement, both to provide income for the convent and to provide job training for the girls. By 1900 nine sisters of the convent were caring for 27 girls and women aged 8 to 36.

This convent remained in operation only until 1909, at which time the sisters moved to a larger operation on the west side of the city. That continued in operation until its closure in 1967, by which time the sisters had cared for 2,700 girls during their 78 year tenure in Helena.

Originally named St. Helena's Church, this church was built at the convent to ease overcrowding at the city's main church and to provide easier access for residents of East Helena. The cornerstone for St. Helena's was laid on March 10, 1889. Two and a half years later St. Helena's was formally dedicated on October 27, 1891. While the convent was sold to private parties when the sisters vacated it, St. Helena's Church was sold to the Seventh Day Adventists, and it remained so until it was purchased by the Holy Cross Catholic Church, date unknown. The 7th Day Adventists built a sanctuary across the front of the church. They did not have an altar, or they removed it when they vacated the building. Holy Cross remodelled the sanctuary to hold an altar, but part of the sanctuary area remains enclosed.

Associated with the Society of St. Pius V, Holy Cross Catholic Church practises the traditional Latin Mass.

The church is a one-story rectangular brick building with a gabled front. The church, which was built in 1891, is symmetrical in design with a central entrance on the west elevation. The building rests on a coursed stone foundation, with a belt coursing of brick at the water table level. The hipped roof is covered with asphalt shingles.

A short wooden steeple rises above the west gable and emphasizes the entry to the church. The steeple is octagonal and has wooden, louvered vents. Patterned metal siding panels now clad the sides of the steeple, and the octagonal roof is crowned with a metal cross. The main entrance is set under a gothic arch and has been altered. The original double entry doors have been replaced, however, the amber glass banding above the door remains. The window opening in the gothic window is now infilled with plywood that bears a non-historic crucifix. The steps have been replaced with poured concrete and heavy poured cement railings. The granite cornerstone rests above the foundation on the southwest corner of the main facade. The simple granite stone shows the date of dedication as 10 March 1889, and an engraved cross that sits midstone separates the day and month from the year. In keeping with Catholic tradition, religious relics may have been placed inside the cornerstone when it was laid.

The gothic arch is trimmed with a projecting molding of brick, and this pattern repeats on the windows on the north and south sides. A small brick-framed round window placed directly above the door entry is now filled with plywood. Holy Parish Church is working to replace the stained glass in the small window.

On the north and south elevations, four single gothic windows are symmetrically placed along the building length. Window heads are infilled with plywood, and the units appear to be the original 2-over-2 double hung windows, glazed with milky white and yellow glass. Segmental brick arches span the basement windows. On the north side, the brick chimney rises above the roof.

The inside of the church has been remodelled, but it still retains the original basic design. The small entry-way to the church has a cloak room and the stairway to the choir balcony. The balcony is a small rectangular-shaped area with an organ and pews for the choir. The church is a large open room lined with windows. The walls and ceiling are painted white, and the ceiling was lowered. A sanctuary behind the alter is used to store the vestments.
From the NRHP Registration Form


Photo goes Here

Type of Church: Church

Status of Building: Actively in use for worship

Date of building construction: 01/01/1891

Dominant Architectural Style: Gothic Revival

Diocese: Society of St. Pius V

Address/Location:
449 North Hoback Street
Helena, MT United States
59624


Relvant Web Site: [Web Link]

Date of organization: Not listed

Associated Shrines, Art, etc.: Not listed

Archdiocese: Not listed

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