St. Leo's Catholic Church

Introduction

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St. Leo's Catholic Church is one of Lewistown's most striking landmarks. It was erected in 1916 and designed by well-known Montana architects J.G. Link and Charles Haire, who designed many other buildings throughout the state. The church is a beautiful example of the Italian Early Christian style with Romanesque elements included. It's most notable feature is the square bell tower, which reaches a height of 95 feet and has arched openings on each side. The church also features rose and arched windows with stained glass, decorative brickwork and terra cotta highlighting, blind arcading (a set of arches that doesn't against a wall), and exterior buttressing. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

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St. Leo's Catholic Church was built in 1916 and is an exceptional example of Italian Early Christian architecture.

Backstory and Context

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Lewistown was founded in 1882 and Catholics were some of its early residents. These included French-Canadians, Cree and Red River Indians, and white settlers. The first church building, a wood-frame structure, was built around 1888. Priests from St. Peter's Mission, Fort Bent, and Great Falls came to celebrate mass until the first resident priest was appointed in 1893. Lewistown grew significantly between 1907 after the Northern Pacific Railroad built a line to the town in 1903; other railroads operated in Fergus County as well. As a result, the population in Lewistown increased to 3,400 by 1908 and to 9,600 by 1918. The influx of residents prompted the Catholic community to build St. Leo's, which held its first service on October 15, 1916 and it was dedicated on November 12th. Leo's has remained a vital part of the community ever since.

Sources

Ellen, Mary, & Rickl, Johanna. "St. Leo's Catholic Church." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.

May 6, 1982. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/82003163_text.

The Montana National Register Sign Program. "St. Leo's Catholic Church." Montana Historical Society. Accessed July 8, 2020. http://digitalvault.mhs.mt.gov/items/show/21107.

"History of St. Leo's." St. Leo's Catholic Church. Accessed July 8, 2020. https://www.stleoscatholicchurch.org/about-us.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Leo%27s_Catholic_Church_(2013)_-_Fergus_County,_Montana.png

Additional Information