St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Park Avenue, Park City

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS UTAH,22-PARK,2-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

the Diocese of Salt Lake City and the State of Utah. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Original and subsequent owners: St. Mary's of the Assumption Catholic Church 2. Date of erection: 3. Architect, builder, suppliers, etc.: Unknown k. Original plan and construction: School and church were "built of stone, standing side hy side, approx- imately the same size. 5. Alterations and additions: Repairs after the fire in January considerably altered the interior of the church. No architect was used. Father Kennedy, the Pastor, and his congregation had the church repaired and it was rededicated in June B. Historical Events and Persons Associated with the Buildings: This is the oldest Catholic School and Church in the Diocese of Salt Lake City and in Utah.

The present Pastor is Father Patrick Curran. It pre-exists the Diocese by almost eight years, the Diocese having been established by Pope Leo XIII on January 27, From to a priest by the name of Father Lawrence Scanlan made regular visits to this mining camp and held mass in Simon's Hall on Main Street, where now stands the old New Park Hotel. (Father Scanlan later became the first Bishop of Salt Lake City.) The congregation soon found the hotel lobby too small and decided to build a church. A plot of ground was obtained on the west slope of the canyon, ST. MARY'S OF THE ASSUMPTION CHURCH HABS No. U-35 (Page 2) # and a frame church and school were built in the fall in and spring of It was the first church in Park City, and its first pastor was Father P. Blake.

The school was operated, 'by the Sisters of the Holy Cross from Indiana, and in its opening year had a total of 133 students. On July U, fire, set fey a pyromaniac "to get even with the towns- people who, he considered, had mistreated him" destroyed the church and school buildings, but they were immediately re- built of stone and school commenced again that fall. (Other accounts date the fire on July, 188U, and one states that the fire occurred in The depression, the silver mining slumps and other circumstances forced the school to close in but it is still used for religious classes taught by the Missionary Sisters of Victory Noel. In fire struck the church and severely damaged it, but it was repaired and re-dedicated in June, C. Sources of Information: 1.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS UTAH,22-PARK,2-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Harris, The Catholic Church in Utah, Salt Lake City, Hansen, Clyde W. A History of the Development of Non- Mormon ItenoMnational Schools in Utah, Masters The- sis, University of Utah. The Intermountain Catholic Register, January ik, Utah Historical Quarterly, Vol. XXVIII, No. 2, April, I960. Woodbury, J. Weston. A History of the Park City School District, Thesis, University of Utah, i960. Worlds' Fair Ecclesiastical History of Utah. George Q. Cannon & Sons, Publishers, D. Likely Sources not yet Investigated: ^ History in Catholic Education in Utah. Sister M. des Vic- toires, Masters Thesis, University of Notre Dame. Prepared by John L. Guisti, AIA September U, # ST. MARY'S OF THE ASSUMPTION CHUECH HABS No. U-35 (Page 3) # PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1.

Architectural interest: This is an early Catholic Church in a Utah mining town. 2. Condition of fabric: Good, hut much altered. B. Description of Exterior: 1. Over-all dimensions: The church is a single-story 35* 6" x 82' rectangle. 2. Foundations: Limestone 3. all construction;, finish and color: Buff colored lime- stone, coursed range ashlar. h. Structural system, framing: Masonry hearing walls with wood framed floor and roof. 5 Openings: a. Doorways and doors: The entrance is a pair of wood, five cross panel, doors. The gothic arch is outlined with three soldier courses of "brick starting at the springline; a cross Is incised In the stone keystone. The tympanum is filled with glass in a rectangular grid of muntins. b. Cornice: Simple cornice with returns. c.

Tower: The present belltower Is smaller than the one shown in early pictures. C. Description of Interior: 1. Little of historic interest remains. t>* Site and Surroundings: 1. Orientation: The entrance faces Park Avenue on the north- east. A high retaining wall raises the site above the street and the mountainside rises steeply behind the site to the southwest. ST. MARY'S OF THE ASSUMPTION CHURCH HABS No. U-35 (Page k) 2. Outbuildings: St. Mary of the Assumption School is adjacent on the southeast. 3. Landscaping and walks, enclosures: A concrete walk crosses in front of the church and steps at two locations lead down to the street. Prepared hy Paul Goeldner, AIA Supervisory Architect Utah Project July 18, PART III.

PROJECT INFORMATION This record is part of a Utah Survey conducted in the summers of and under joint sponsorship of the Historic American Buildings Survey of the Office of Arcehology and Historic Preservation of the National Park Service and the Utah Heritage Foundation. Field work, historic research and record drawings were done under the direction of Project Supervisor Paul Goeldner, AIA (Texas Tech Univer- sity) assisted hy Project Historian John L. Giusti, AIA (University of Utah). Photographs were made hy P. Kent Fairbanks of Salt Lake City. Student Assistant Architects on the team were Rohert M. Swanson and Charles W. Barrow, (University of Texas) and Kenneth L. Lambert and Keith Sorenson, (University of Utah). Student Assistant Architects were Keith Sorenson, Charles D.

Harker and Rohert Schriever, (University of Utah) and Donald G-. Prycer, (Texas A. & M. University).