National Register of Historic Places

Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church

Pe Ell, Lewis County, Washington
Listed
September 1, 1987
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
87001456

About this property

Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church was a historic Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC) at Third and Queen in Pe Ell, Washington. The parish was the first PNCC church organized and constructed in Washington state, and was one of a few of such type in the Western United States. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The Polish-American community in the town started a new congregation after feeling an original Catholic church was no longer meeting their cultural needs. Organized, constructed, and dedicated in 1916, the church was in the architectural style of Late Gothic Revival and featured two symmetrical bell towers at the main entrance, Gothic windows, a barrel vault ceiling, and hand-carved altarpieces. The congregation, historically small but open to any person of Polish or Lithuanian ancestry, weathered declining membership, funding, and a closure during the Great Depression. Reopening under Episcopal ministry in the late 1930s, the church remained active as a Polish cultural parish but a repeat decline of membership began in the 1960s. By the late 1980s, attendance was sparse, and despite a brief increase the following decade, the church waned further. The last liturgical services were held at the turn of the 21st century. Items within the church were sold during the 2000s to help raise funds to maintain the structure. Continuing funding difficulties and declining membership led the building to fall into decay. The church, despite some opposition and remaining in a mostly unaltered state, was demolished in full by March 2010. Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church was the last remaining Polish National Catholic church in the state.

Location

Pe Ell, Lewis County, Washington
46.56760, -123.30032

Categories

EUROPEANARCHITECTURERELIGION
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

Boistfort High School
Industrial
8 mi
Claquato Church
Early Republic
14.2 mi
Pennsylvania Avenue-West Side Historic District
Listed
16.8 mi
Palmer, O. K., House
Industrial
16.8 mi
Lewis County Courthouse
Industrial
17 mi

Questions about this property

When was Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church listed on the National Register?

Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 1, 1987.

What type of historic resource is Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church?

Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church?

The period of significance for Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church is recorded as the industrial era.

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