St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church (Huntsville, Alabama)

St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church is a historic church in Huntsville, Alabama. The oldest Catholic church in North Alabama, it began construction in 1861 but was interrupted by the Civil War. The church was completed in 1877. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Church of the Visitation
The church in December 2009
Location222 N. Jefferson St., Huntsville, Alabama
Coordinates34°43′58″N 86°35′14″W
Area2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built1877 (1877)
Architectural styleRomanesque
MPSDowntown Huntsville MRA
NRHP reference No.80000705[1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 22, 1980

Description

St. Mary Church was built of limestone in a Romanesque Revival style. The façade is framed by two hexagonal towers; the spire of the north tower houses the bell, and is raised six feet (1.8 meters) above the south tower. The large central double entrance doors and smaller flanking doors are topped by an arched wooden infill panel. All openings on the façade are topped with projecting round stone arches, with the keystones and imposts projecting further. A stone belt course runs half-way up the front. Pilasters climb between the central and side doors and terminate about 5 feet (1.5 m) above the gable roof in a shallow gable wall. Crosses adorn this wall and the two towers. A semi-hexagonal apse is a later addition to the rear of the building.[2] The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[1]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  2. Bayer, Linda (May 31, 1979). "Church of the Visitation". Historic Resources of Downtown Huntsville. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014. See also: "Accompanying photos". Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.

Further reading
  • Tumminello, Pat (2012). A Mighty Fortress of Faith : A History of St. Mary of the Visitation Church 1861-2011. Specialty Publishing and Printing Co. pp. x, 460. ISBN 9780615530611.


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