St. James Basilica (Jamestown, North Dakota)

Last updated
St. James Catholic Church
St. James Basilica (Jamestown, ND) from NE 1.jpg
USA North Dakota location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location622 1st Ave., S., Jamestown, North Dakota
Coordinates 46°54′10″N98°42′32″W / 46.902805°N 98.708869°W / 46.902805; -98.708869
Built1910–1914
Built byJeff Shelde
Architect Hancock Brothers
Architectural style Late Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No. 82001346 [1]
Added to NRHPOctober 22, 1982
St. James Basilica (Jamestown, North Dakota)

St. James Basilica is a Latin Catholic parish church in the Diocese of Fargo as well as a minor basilica located in Jamestown, North Dakota, United States. A previous church building, completed in 1882, served briefly as a cathedral in the 19th century. The present church building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 as St. James Catholic Church, and it was elevated to a minor basilica in 1988.

Contents

History

The 1882 church and the old rectory. The church served as a cathedral the 1890s. St. James Catholic Church and Rectory - Jamestown, North Dakota.jpg
The 1882 church and the old rectory. The church served as a cathedral the 1890s.

Catholics settled in the Jamestown area as early as 1872, [2] and the first Mass was celebrated in the town on January 10, 1879. [3] As the congregation had no building to call its own for three years, they met in hotels, school buildings, and meeting halls. They also did not have a pastor so they were served by visiting clergy. Father Flannigan became the parish's first pastor in 1882. He raised $6,000 to build a frame church that measured 86 by 60 feet (26 by 18 m), and a small rectory next door. They were completed in June 1882. Anton Klaus, a prominent Jamestown citizen, donated the block on which the buildings were built. [3] It was dedicated by Bishop Martin Marty, OSB on May 13, 1883.

On November 10, 1889 Pope Leo XIII established the Diocese of Jamestown, [4] and St. James became the cathedral church for the new diocese. Bishop John Shanley was installed as bishop. He established St. John's Academy, added a sacristy to the cathedral, renovated the rectory, and convened the first Catholic Congress of the Dakotas in 1891. The later was an annual meeting to aid the Native Americans in North Dakota. Shanley found running the diocese from Jamestown difficult and moved to Fargo in 1891. [5] He had the Cathedral of St. Mary built there and the See City was transferred to Fargo on April 6, 1897.

By the early 20th century it became obvious that a new church was needed. Under the direction of the Rev. Edward J. Geraghty and Michael Murphy, a local banker and contractor who led the building committee, the Hancock Brothers of Fargo designed a new church in the Gothic Revival style. Jeff Shelde from Litchfield, Minnesota was chosen as the contractor. The groundbreaking took place in 1910 and it took four years to build the church. Bishop James O'Reilly consecrated it on November 29, 1914. [2]

A major building program took place from 1956 to 1958. A new and larger rectory was designed by the Minneapolis architectural firm of Hills, Gilbertson and Hayes. The basement of the church was transformed into a parish hall and the interior of the worship space was updated. The renovation included a new paint scheme and simplified altar furnishings.

On October 26, 1988 Pope John Paul II elevated St. James Church to the rank of a minor basilica. [6] Bishop James S. Sullivan presided at the dedication liturgy on July 23, 1989. The Apostolic Brief, which raised St. James to the basilica status, is located near the southwest entrance into the church building. [2]

Architecture

Interior of the basilica St. James Basilica (Jamestown, ND) interior 1.jpg
Interior of the basilica

The basilica is a cross-shaped structure that measures 140 by 50 feet (43 by 15 m) and 70 feet (21 m) at the transept. [2] The building itself is 42 feet (13 m) high and the twin towers that flank the main facade are 125 feet (38 m). [3] The spires on the towers are capped with 23 carat gold-leaf crosses. The foundation is rock faced, trimmed granite. The exterior walls are covered in Hebron brick and they are trimmed in Bedford stone. The seating capacity of the church is 650 with another 100 able to fit in the choir loft. The stained glass windows that depict scenes from the life of Christ were installed by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company in 1918.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, Dyersville</span> United States historic place

The Basilica of St. Francis Xavier is a parish church in the Archdiocese of Dubuque located in Dyersville, Iowa, United States. The church was named in honor of the missionary Saint Francis Xavier. It was raised to the status of a minor basilica in 1956. The church and rectory were listed together on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacred Heart Cathedral (Davenport, Iowa)</span> Church in Iowa, United States

Sacred Heart Cathedral, located in Davenport, Iowa, United States, is a Catholic cathedral and a parish church in the Diocese of Davenport. The cathedral is located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River to the east of Downtown Davenport. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Cathedral Complex. This designation includes the church building, rectory, and the former convent, which was torn down in 2012. The cathedral is adjacent to the Cork Hill Historic District, also on the National Register. Its location on Cork Hill, a section of the city settled by Irish immigrants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Patrick Cathedral (Fort Worth, Texas)</span> Historic church in Texas, United States

St. Patrick Cathedral is the cathedral of the Catholic Church located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It is a parish of the Diocese of Fort Worth and the seat of its bishop. Construction of St. Patrick's church began in 1888, and it was dedicated in 1892. It is listed along with nearby parish facilities on the National Register of Historic Places as the St. Patrick Cathedral Complex with the church building, the rectory, and St. Ignatius Academy regarded as contributing properties. The church and academy buildings are each recognized as Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist (Savannah, Georgia)</span> Historic church in Georgia, United States

The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic cathedral and minor basilica near Lafayette Square at 222 East Harris Street, Savannah, Georgia, in the United States. It is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo</span> Latin Catholic jurisdiction in North Dakota, United States

The Diocese of Fargo is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in eastern North Dakota in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Mary's Basilica (Phoenix)</span> Historic Catholic church in Arizona, United States

St. Mary's Basilica – officially The Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – is a church of the Diocese of Phoenix located at 231 North 3rd Street at the corner of East Monroe Street in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It was previously known as St. Mary's Church. It was built from 1902 to 1914 in a combination of the Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival styles, and was dedicated in 1915. It replaced an earlier adobe church built in 1881 when the parish was founded. From 1895 the parish was staffed by the Franciscan Friars, but it is currently staffed and operated by clergy of the Diocese of Phoenix. The current church was elevated to a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (Houston)</span> Church in Texas, United States

The Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is a place of worship located at 1111 St. Joseph Parkway in downtown Houston. The co-cathedral seats 1,820 people in its 32,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) sanctuary. Together with the venerable St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Galveston, Sacred Heart serves more than 1.2 million Roman Catholics in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Ambrose Cathedral (Des Moines, Iowa)</span> Church in Iowa, United States

St. Ambrose Cathedral is a historic building located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It serves as a parish church and as the seat of the Diocese of Des Moines in the Catholic Church. The cathedral, along with the adjoining rectory, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of St. John (Des Moines, Iowa)</span> Church in Iowa, United States

The Basilica of St. John is a Minor Basilica of the Catholic Church in the Drake neighborhood of Des Moines, Iowa, United States. It is also a parish church in the Diocese of Des Moines. The church building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Shanley (bishop)</span> American prelate

John Shanley was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Fargo in North Dakota from 1889 until his death in 1909.

Vincent James Ryan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as bishop of the Diocese of Bismarck in North Dakota from 1940 until his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist</span> Church in Connecticut, United States

The Basilica of Saint John the Evangelist is a Catholic parish church and minor basilica in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. It was founded in the 1850s and the current church was built in 1868 to meet the increasing needs of the congregation. It serves a multi-lingual congregation, including descendants of the original congregation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Rapid City, South Dakota)</span> Church in South Dakota, United States

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Catholic cathedral and parish church located in Rapid City, South Dakota, United States. Completed in 1962, it serves as the third cathedral of the Diocese of Rapid City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Michael's Catholic Church (Holbrook, Iowa)</span> United States historic place

St. Michael's Catholic Church is a former parish of the Diocese of Davenport. The church is located in the unincorporated village of Holbrook, east of Parnell, Iowa, United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as St. Michael's Church, Cemetery, Rectory, and Ancient Order of Hibernians Hall in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Francis Xavier Cathedral and Library</span> Historic church in Indiana, United States

The St. Francis Xavier Cathedral is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church in Vincennes, Indiana, under the Diocese of Evansville. Named for Francis Xavier, a 16th-century Jesuit apostle, it is located opposite George Rogers Clark National Historical Park at 205 Church Street, within the Vincennes Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart</span> Historic church in West Virginia, United States

The Basilica of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is a cathedral church and a minor basilica located in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. Along with the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling it is the seat of the Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. The parish complex is a contributing property in the Downtown Charleston Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Benedict Cathedral (Evansville, Indiana)</span> Church in Indiana, United States

St. Benedict Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Evansville, Indiana, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Evansville. The cathedral, rectory and original school building are contributing properties in the Lincolnshire Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church (Indianapolis, Indiana)</span> Historic church in Indiana, United States

Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The parish's origins date to 1837, when it was first named Holy Cross parish. In 1850 it was renamed Saint John the Evangelist parish, and is the oldest Catholic parish in the city and in Marion County, Indiana. Considered the mother of the Catholic parishes in Indianapolis, it played an important role in development of the Catholic Church in the city. Saint John's Church served as the pro-cathedral of the diocese from 1878 until 1906; its rectory served as the bishop's residence and chancery from 1878 until 1892. In 1900 the church served as the site of first episcopal consecration held in Indianapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of St. Mary (Fargo, North Dakota)</span> Church in North Dakota, United States

The Cathedral of St. Mary is a Catholic cathedral located in Fargo, North Dakota, United States. It is a parish church and the seat of the Diocese of Fargo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Joseph Cathedral (Columbus, Ohio)</span> Church in Ohio, United States

St. Joseph Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral located in Columbus, Ohio, United States which serves as the seat of the Diocese of Columbus. The church building, completed in 1878, is located on Broad Street in Downtown Columbus.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Our History". Basilica of St. James Catholic Church. Retrieved 2011-10-17.
  3. 1 2 3 Bonnie J. Halda, Mary Young. "St. James Catholic Church". National Park Service . Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  4. "Diocese of Fargo". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2011-10-17.
  5. Leo Stelten. "History of the Diocese". Diocese of Fargo. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
  6. "Basilica of St. James". GCatholic. Retrieved 2011-10-17.