Saint Urban, Washington

Saint Urban is an unincorporated community in Lewis County, Washington, United States.[1] It is located approximately three miles (4.8 km) northeast of Winlock. It came about as German and Swiss immigrants settled here in the late 1800s. At the height of its prosperity the hub of this community, located at the intersection of Military Road and the Sargent Road, consisted of a small store, the Catholic church, a school and a Grange hall.[2][3] Today only the Grange hall[4] and church remain. The church has been decommissioned but a cemetery is still maintained.[5]

Saint Urban
Unincorporated community
Saint Urban
Coordinates: 46.518°N 122.887°W / 46.518; -122.887
CountryUnited States
StateWashington
CountyLewis

The church, originally called the Assumption Catholic Church (later called St. Urban) was dedicated on August 15, 1891. That day is the Feast of the Assumption.[6] By the early 2000s the church building had become dilapidated and was in need of repair. The Archdiocese of Seattle was contemplating destroying the building. A group of former residents and their descendants, concerned about the loss of a historic landmark, formed the St. Urban Settlement Foundation in an effort to save the church. Volunteers worked towards the restoration effort that culminated in the reopening of the building with a ceremony on August 15, 2010.[7]

  • St. Urban Street Scene, c1915
  • St. Urban School Interior, c1915

The first school was built on the Frederick Schlittler property about one-quarter mile (0.40 km) north of the intersection of Sargent and Military roads. A new school district, 37, was assigned on January 8, 1884. This original school was replaced with a somewhat larger building c. 1908. The new school was located diagonally across the St. Urban intersection from the church.[6]

References

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  1. "Saint Urban". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. Bill Wall. "History of Winlock and Vicinity".
  3. C. C. Wall (1952). "A History of Winlock, Washington" (PDF).
  4. "Lewis County Granges | St. Urban Grange 648". www.grange.org. Retrieved 2015-08-12.
  5. "St. Urban Cemetery".
  6. Chambers, Margaret (2016). Saint Urban Church Community, Early Years. Centralia, WA: Self published. pp. 4, 67.
  7. News, Tony Lystra / The Daily. "Winlock celebrates completion of St. Urban restoration". Longview Daily News. Retrieved 2016-12-02.


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