National Register of Historic Places

St. Francis Xavier Church

Missoula, Missoula County, Montana
Listed
April 27, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82003176

About this property

The St. Francis Xavier Church in the Downtown district of Missoula, Montana, is the tallest church in Missoula, and one of the tallest in the state (by height to roof). It is also the tallest church in Missoula County, Montana. It has paintings well over 100 years old, which were done by a brother of the Society of Jesus, a kitchen helper, who painted them in his spare time. It is located at 420 West Pine Street. Built in 1892, St. Francis Xavier is one of the tallest churches in Montana, and the tallest in the city of Missoula, and in Missoula County. The first St. Francis Xavier Church was built by Jesuits in 1881. In 1888, a Jesuit Priest named Father Diomedi arrived and hired an architect from Portland named Mr. Blanchard and a contractor from Missoula, Montana named Patrick Walsh. The church was designed to hold 600 on the main floor and another 150 in the choir loft. A description of the church can be found at www.sfxmissoula.com When the church was built in 1892, it became the largest church in Montana. It is a cruciform church in the Romanesque Revival style. The arches over the windows and doors are semicircular, and there are smaller arches along the eave line, small buttresses, and a bell tower. Jesuit lay brother Joseph Carignano (1853–1919), who also painted the frescoes at St. Ignatius Mission, painted the interior. The church also has stained glass windows, a pipe organ, and a 2,270 pound church bell dedicated to Jesuit missionary Father Lawrence Palladino. Media related to St. Francis Xavier Church (Missoula, Montana) at Wikimedia Commons

Location

420 W. Pine St.
Missoula, Missoula County, Montana
46.87469, -113.99767

Categories

ARCHITECTURERELIGION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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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Nearby Historic Sites

Lenox Flats
Industrial
0.1 mi
Mrs. Lydia McCaffery's Furnished Rooms
Industrial
0.1 mi
Marsh and Powell Funeral Home
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0.1 mi
Missoula County Courthouse
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0.1 mi
Johnston, John S., House
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was St. Francis Xavier Church listed on the National Register?

St. Francis Xavier Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 27, 1982.

What type of historic resource is St. Francis Xavier Church?

St. Francis Xavier Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for St. Francis Xavier Church?

The period of significance for St. Francis Xavier Church is recorded as the industrial era.

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