Church of St. Casimir (Saint Paul, Minnesota)

Church of St. Casimir--Catholic
Brick church with twin corner towers and a raised central portico
The Church of St. Casimir from the southwest
Location937 Jessamine Avenue East, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Coordinates44°58′30″N 93°3′40″W / 44.97500°N 93.06111°W / 44.97500; -93.06111
Built1904
Architectural styleBeaux-Arts
NRHP reference No.83000939[1]
Added to NRHPMarch 31, 1983

The Church of Saint Casimir is a Roman Catholic church building built in 1904 in the Beaux-Arts style in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota. The church was founded to serve the needs of Polish American immigrants, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

The original 1892 church building

The parish of Saint Casimir dates back to an original combined church and school building erected in 1892 to serve the Polish Catholic immigrant community.[2][1] The current church building, designed by Polish-American architect Victor Cordella, was constructed in 1904.[2][3] Constructed in the Beaux-Arts style, the red-pressed brick building was built on a limestone foundation. In 1926, the original onion domes on the double bell towers were replaced by egg-shaped tops. Tuscan columns grace the front. The interior was remodeled in 1956, but remains a good example of Beaux-Arts.[1]

Since 1916, the parish has been served by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The current school building was constructed in 1924.[2] Masses using the Polish language were offered until around World War II.[1] In 1992, the school of Saint Casimir was merged with the schools of nearby St. Patrick and Sacred Heart parishes to form Trinity Catholic School.[4] The combined school closed in 2009.[5]

By 1952, five priests and 27 sisters had came from the St. Casimir's.[2] Archbishop Roger Lawrence Schwietz, bishop of Duluth from 1989 to 2000 and archbishop of Anchorage from 2001 to 2016, grew up attending the parish.[6]

The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, being significant both for its value to the early Polish immigrant community in Minnesota and its atypically sophisticated Beaux-Arts style for a church in St. Paul.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "National Register Information System – Church of St. Casimir (#83000939)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d Reardon, James Michael (1952). The Catholic Church in the Diocese of St. Paul : from earliest origin to centennial achievement : a factual narrative. Saint Paul, Minnesota: North Central Publishing Company. pp. 588–589.
  3. ^ "A Polish Architect for all" (PDF). PolAm. 39 (3). Polish-American Cultural Institute of Minnesota: 1, 6. March–April 2017.
  4. ^ Norby, Pat (August 13, 1992). "East side campus ripe for students" (PDF). The Catholic Bulletin. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  5. ^ Wiering, Maria (March 19, 2009). "Two Catholic schools will close at end of academic year" (PDF). The Catholic Spirit. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  6. ^ Hrbacek, Dave (March 9, 2017). "Polish-style homecoming for native son" (PDF). The Catholic Spirit. pp. 1, 7. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  7. ^ Nord, Mary Ann (2003). The National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 180. ISBN 0-87351-448-3.
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