December 23, 1884

The first Catholic church at Beloit, a stone building built by Father Norris in 1854, was destroyed by fire.

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The evidence

BeloitDecember 23, 1884

The first Catholic church at Beloit, a stone building built by Father Norris in 1854, was destroyed by fire.

A 2 independent sources

1AQuotation found on a page of our own sources

The first Catholic church at Beloit was built by Father Norris in 1854. This stone building was destroyed by fire December 23, 1884. The next day one of Father Ward's Presbyterian friends, meeting him, said :

Brown, William Fiske, editor. Rock County, Wisconsin: A New History of Its Cities, Villages, Towns, Citizens and Varied Interests, from the Earliest Times, Up to Date. Chicago: C. F. Cooper & Co., 1908. 2 vols. archive.org/details/rockcountywiscon01brow, archive.org/details/rockcountywiscon02brow.Vol. 1, PDF p. 299 / book p. 273

2BInstitutional web page

n, stonecutter, all of Beloit. The rectory and convent buildings share neither the archi- tectural character nor the historical associations of the church and thus are ex- cluded from the nomination. HISTORICAL STATEMENT: The Church of St. Thomas the Apostle has been the historic spiritual home of Beloit f s oldest Catholic parish and mother church for all subsequent Catholic churches in the city. Built on the ruins of the historic Stone Church—the first permanent Catholic church in Beloit, which burned in December, 1884—the present edifice was completed after an intensive fund raising campaign led by the inde- fatigable Reverend M. J. Ward. Father Ward himself relinquished some of his duties to engage in a long series of temperance lectures in an attempt at building the church fund. Eventually some $15,000 was raised. By June of 1886, the church was formally opened and dedicated. CHURCH OF ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE (822 East Grand Ave.) Intensive Survey Form - C

npgallery.nps.gov, https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/83003413_texthttps://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/83003413_text

1884 / December 23

BeloitA

December 23, 1884

The first Catholic church at Beloit, a stone building built by Father Norris in 1854, was destroyed by fire.

All of 1884 → · Know a source for this? Tell us →

The evidence

BeloitDecember 23, 1884

The first Catholic church at Beloit, a stone building built by Father Norris in 1854, was destroyed by fire.

A 2 independent sources

1AQuotation found on a page of our own sources

The first Catholic church at Beloit was built by Father Norris in 1854. This stone building was destroyed by fire December 23, 1884. The next day one of Father Ward's Presbyterian friends, meeting him, said :

2BInstitutional web page

n, stonecutter, all of Beloit. The rectory and convent buildings share neither the archi- tectural character nor the historical associations of the church and thus are ex- cluded from the nomination. HISTORICAL STATEMENT: The Church of St. Thomas the Apostle has been the historic spiritual home of Beloit f s oldest Catholic parish and mother church for all subsequent Catholic churches in the city. Built on the ruins of the historic Stone Church—the first permanent Catholic church in Beloit, which burned in December, 1884—the present edifice was completed after an intensive fund raising campaign led by the inde- fatigable Reverend M. J. Ward. Father Ward himself relinquished some of his duties to engage in a long series of temperance lectures in an attempt at building the church fund. Eventually some $15,000 was raised. By June of 1886, the church was formally opened and dedicated. CHURCH OF ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE (822 East Grand Ave.) Intensive Survey Form - C

npgallery.nps.gov, https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/83003413_texthttps://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/83003413_text