Saint Mary of the Assumption
About this property
St. Mary of the Assumption Church is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church located at Laurin, Madison County, Montana, United States, in the Diocese of Helena. It is noted for its historic parish church. Built between 1899 and 1900, St. Mary of the Assumption church in Laurin is significant as a well-preserved example of Gothic Revival ecclesiastical architecture. Designed by the eminent Montana architectural firm of Link & Haire, the church features extraordinarily high quality craftsmanship exhibited by the masonry and interior woodwork, a prominent three story bell tower in the front, and attractive stained glass Gothic windows highlighted by decorative stone arches and lintels. St. Mary of the Assumption has served as the primary Roman Catholic church for a widely dispersed mining and agricultural population within the Ruby Valley of southwestern Montana for nearly 90 years. In excellent condition, it is a major architectural landmark and the largest, most sophisticated building in Laurin. After gold was discovered in nearby Alder Gulch in 1863 and a rush of fortune seekers flooded the area, this small community of Laurin, which has a population of less than 50 people, quickly became established as an important trading post for the entire Ruby Valley mining region. The original canvas tent trading post, later replaced by a log structure, which also served as the general mercantile store, was opened and operated by Jean- Baptiste Laurin, the founder of the town. In the mid-1860s, over 10,000 miners descended upon the area, but within five years most mines were no longer economically viable and towns in the valley were abandoned in favor of new strikes. As a result of his enterprising business endeavors during the mining boom, Jean Laurin became one of the wealthiest citizens in Laurin and, according to early newspaper accounts, shared his wealth in order to promote the success of the town. In 1897, after Laurin and his wife had died, $8,000 was donated in her name toward the construction of a new Catholic church in Laurin for an expanding parish. St. Mary of the Assumption Church is the second Catholic church to be built in Laurin. Since its dedication in 1901, St. Mary's has been used in conjunction with the original 1875 frame church that stands adjacent to the property and is currently used as the parish hall. St. Mary's is the most substantial and well-crafted building in Laurin and is a major visual component of this community's identity. Typically church buildings in small, rural towns throughout Montana during the late 19th century were built of wood frame and sheathed with white clapboard siding. Following a basic one room plan, these gable-roofed buildings invariably had a rectangular shape with a square bell tower placed atop the roof. More substantial brick or stone churches were usually found in larger communities where bigger parishes called for, and could support the construction of these structures. In Laurin, which in the later 1800s likely had a population of at least several hundred people, the need for a larger and more expansive church became clear when the parish outgrew the earlier 1875 frame building.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Saint Mary of the Assumption listed on the National Register?
Saint Mary of the Assumption was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 23, 1985.
What type of historic resource is Saint Mary of the Assumption?
Saint Mary of the Assumption is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Saint Mary of the Assumption?
The period of significance for Saint Mary of the Assumption is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Saint Mary of the Assumption?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Saint Mary of the Assumption will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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